[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Egypt and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Egypt Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to egypt@jadaliyya.com by Sunday night of every week.]
Political Rights
World Council of Churches calls for journalist Hesham Gaafar’s release The World Council of Churches wrote a letter to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, urging him to use his authority to release journalist and researcher Hesham Gaafar from detention for humanitarian reasons.
Solidarity campaign over journalist Hesham Gaafar`s prison conditions Journalists, bloggers and the family of Hesham Gaafar launched an online campaign Tuesday to demand better prison conditions for the detained journalist, whose health is slowly deteriorating.
April 6 co-ordinator continues hunger strike for fifth day April 6 Youth Movement coordinator Amr Ali has continued his hunger strike for the fifth consecutive day in protest against what the movement described in a statement on Wednesday as abusive practices and systematic maltreatment against him in Tora Prison.
Growing int`l criticism of Egypt after asset freezes against human rights defenders and NGOs In the past few days, a host of statements have been issued by the United Nations, America’s State Department, and the European Union, along with several international human rights organizations, against the court-ordered asset freezes which were issued on Saturday against five prominent Egyptian human rights defenders and three rights non-governmental organizations.
Social media campaign launched for young men sentenced to death The No to Military Trials for Civilians initiative launched on Thursday a social media campaign for a group of young men sentenced to death in military courts.
Egypt arrests more than dozen people for creating a ‘negative atmosphere’ Egypt’s interior ministry said on Saturday that it arrested more than a dozen people for seeking to create “a negative atmosphere” through “creating crises.”
Egypt court authority recommends dismissal of case against govt surveillance programme Egypt`s State Commissioners Authority recommended on Sunday that the administrative court dismiss a case challenging a controversial government decision made earlier this year to introduce a new security system designed to monitor social networking sites.
Court finally acquits last policeman accused of killing January 25 protesters Egypt’s Appeals Court has upheld a decision to acquit policeman Mohamed Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, known as Mohamed "al-Sunni," charged with killing protesters outside Zawiya al-Hamra police station on 28 January, 2011.
Egypt sentences minors to five years for protesting against Egyptian-Saudi accord Egypt sentenced five minors to five years in prison and a fine of 100,000 LE each, on accusations of illegally protesting against the Egyptian-Saudi maritime border demarcation agreement.
Egypt court sentences seven to death, five to ten years for killing top police officer An Egyptian criminal court sentenced on Saturday seven people to death and five people to ten years in prison over accusations of killing major general Nabil Farag in 2013.
Nine police officers sentenced to prison over assault on Matariya hospital The Matariya Misdemeanours Court sentenced nine low-ranking police officers to three years imprisonment late Tuesday over accusations of verbal and physical assault on doctors at a Matariya hospital earlier this year.
Dawn arrests of public transport labor leaders make planned strike unlikely At least six labor leaders employed by the Transport Authority were arrested on early Saturday morning after calls were made for public transport workers to strike.
Update: Boat carrying up to 600 migrants sinks off Egypt`s coast, hundreds still missing A vessel carrying up to 600 migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Rashid on Wednesday, with hundreds still missing amid fears the death toll will increase dramatically.
Death toll from migrant boat disaster reaches 162 The death toll from a sunken boat carrying hundreds of migrants reached 162 on Friday, according to Egypt`s Health Ministry, as authorities continued to recover bodies from the water.
Victims of Rashid boat tragedy blamed for their fate Instead of being mourned, the hundreds of migrants who lost their lives in the capsized boat tragedy are the target of scrutiny and attacks, as they are blamed for the own demise.
Nazra for Feminist Studies director wins ‘alternative Nobel Prize’ Nazra for Feminist Studies Executive Director Mozn Hassan has been named as one of the winners of the 2016 Right Livelihood Award, an honor often referred to as the “alternative Nobel Prize.”
Economy
Egypt gov`t `lacks economic vision` in the face of mounting loans - ECESR As Egypt gears up for its second rescue package from the International Monetary Fund in twenty-five years, researchers and policymakers remain divided on both its necessity and impact.
Egypt backtracks on zero ergot wheat policy as imports decline The Egyptian government has backtracked on its zero-tolerance policy on ergot in wheat imports after 540,000 tons were kept at international ports from entering Egypt, the cabinet said on Wednesday.
Foreign Relations
Sisi speaks of Egypt`s role in regional conflict at UN General Assembly President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stressed Egypt’s role in fighting global terrorism and bringing peace to the Middle East in his address to the seventy-first session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
Sisi urges Israel to `move toward peace`, says Egypt is anchor of stability Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said during his speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday that the Arab-Israeli conflict continues to be the core of regional instability.
Coptic activists criticize church’s support of Sisi’s New York visit Coptic activists released a statement on Monday criticizing the Coptic Orthodox Church’s widespread support of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s visit to New York for the seventy-first meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.
Hillary Clinton calls for Aya Hegazy’s release during meeting with Sisi US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called for the release of US-Egyptian detainee Aya Hegazy during a meeting with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday evening, according to a press release from her campaign team.
Donald Trump lauds `peace-loving Muslims` during meeting with Sisi US presidential candidate Donald Trump said he has “high regard for peace-loving Muslims,” during a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Monday night.
Clinton, Trump meetings with Sisi underline foreign policy differences Meetings held between US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Monday underscored foreign policy differences between the two candidates.
Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia sign on Renaissance dam impact studies The technical teams of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia signed the final the contracts for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam technical studies on Tuesday in Khartoum.
Protests continue in Italy in solidarity with Egyptian worker killed on picket line Italian workers, unionists and labor activists continue protests two weeks after the death of Egyptian worker Abdel Salam al-Danf in the northern city of Piacenza and other locations across the country.
Domestic Security
Policeman killed, two others injured in Sinai A policeman were killed and two others injured in an attack by gunmen in Arish city, North Sinai governorate, on Thursday.
One civilian killed, 6 injured in North Sinai explosion One civilian was killed and six injured on Sunday after a roadside bomb exploded in North Sinai.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
The Red Sea in History: An Interview with Alexis Wick Alexis Wick, author of The Red Sea: In Search of Lost Space, discusses in a podcast interview how and when the Red Sea emerged as a coherent spatial concept.