[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
Ultras White Knights leader starts hunger strike over prison conditions The jailed leader of Zamalek football club’s fans, the Ultras White Knights, started a hunger strike in protest over his deteriorating health and bad prison conditions, according to his lawyer Osama al-Gouhary
Al-Ahram Beverages Company referred to prosecution for ad deemed offensive to Armed Forces Al-Ahram Beverages Company was referred to the prosecution after the company’s Birell Facebook page published an advertisement deemed offensive to Egypt’s Armed Forces, the official Consumer Protection Agency said on Saturday.
Court adjourns former top auditor Hesham Geneina’s appeal to December 20 Although a final verdict was expected Tuesday in an appeal filed by former head auditor Hesham Geneina against his dismissal, the case was adjourned to the end of December to give a new panel of judges time to examine the evidence.
Egypt gives life sentences to Brotherhood supporters for 2013 riot An Egyptian court sentenced two Muslim Brotherhood supporters on Saturday to life in prison and sixteen others to fifteen years in jail for a violent assault on a Cairo neighborhood in 2013 after the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi.
Court upholds life sentence against Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Egypt`s Court of Cassation upheld on Wednesday the life sentence against Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie and thirty-six others in a case where they were accused of blocking the Cairo-Alexandria Agricultural Road.
Egyptian court overturns death sentences for 6 ISIS supporters An Egyptian court overturned on Monday death sentences for six defendants accused of planning attacks on behalf of the Islamic State group.
Egyptian court acquits three over Red Sea islands protest in Mansoura A Mansoura appeal court on Sunday acquitted three people of charges of illegal protesting in April against the government’s deal with Saudi Arabia on two Red Sea islands.
Sisi promises amendment of protest law, reviewing cases of detainees Egypt`s president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi decided on Thursday to establish a committee to review the status of youth imprisoned without conviction and promised to consider possible amendments of the controversial protest law.
Egypt`s Sisi inaugurates first day of annual National Youth Conference Egypt`s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated on Tuesday the first annual National Youth Conference in the Sinai resort city of Sharm al-Sheikh with the participation of 3,000 youth from the country’s universities and political parties.
Economy
IMF welcomes Egypt’s austerity measures, advises against lifting food subsidies In official statements to the press the International Monetary Fund has called on the Egyptian state to push ahead with planned austerity measures and financial reforms before the finalization of the twelve billion USD loan agreement, despite the potential emergence of mass protests against these policies.
Profit margin caps: reining in monopolies or a push toward a new black market The Egyptian government has rolled out an economic reform plan to address the country’s economic woes, with its latest initiative being a proposal to cap profit margins for basic commodities. However, many experts view the policy as outdated, difficult to enforce and failing to address the principal causes of inflation.
Foreign exchange crisis drives up Egypt’s external debt Egypt’s banks have turned to borrowing foreign currency to deal with the pervasive shortage in dollar liquidity, according to the Central Bank of Egypt, causing a hike in the country’s short-term external debt.
Egypt decreases areas for rice cultivation amid fears of water scarcity Egypt is planning to dramatically decrease the amount of land allocated to rice production next year, amid ongoing concerns over water scarcity, the Irrigation Ministry announced on Sunday.
Foreign Relations
Egypt’s foreign affairs minister slams former Saudi official for mocking Sisi Egypt’s foreign affairs minister hit back at former Saudi minister and head of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation for mocking President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a conference in Tunis.
15-year-old shot dead in Israel by Egyptian Armed Forces A fifteen-year-old Arab-Israeli worker was shot dead by the Egyptian Armed Forces on Tuesday while repairing an Israeli security fence in the Negev Desert.
Egypt secures seat at UN human rights body Egypt was elected on Friday to be a member at the UN Human Rights Council, with 173 out of 193 votes.
Egypt slams Guardian for `factual mistakes` on Cairo’s stance on Syria Egypt’ ambassador to the UK criticized The Guardian for publishing a recent article that attacked Cairo’s position towards the situation in Syria, saying it contained “factual mistakes.”
Italian student`s murder in Egypt is "open wound" - Italy minister The case of Italian student Giulio Regeni, who was murdered in Egypt in February, is an "open wound" for Italy, Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Wednesday.
One year after the Russian plane crash: A timeline The following is a timeline of actions, findings and consequences related to the Russian plane that crashed over the Sinai Peninsula on October 31, 2015.
Domestic Security
Roadside explosion in Egypt`s North Sinai kills senior military officer A senior military officer and one soldier were killed on Saturday by a roadside explosion in Egypt`s North Sinai where the government faces an Islamic State-led insurgency, security sources told Reuters.
Armed Forces holds funeral for lieutenant-colonel killed in North Sinai bombing Lieutenant-Colonel Ramy Hassanein was buried during a military funeral on Sunday after he and the driver of the armored vehicle he was traveling in at the time were killed by a roadside bomb in North Sinai.
6 injured in car blast in Egypt`s Al-Arish Three policemen and three civilians were injured on Sunday after a car bomb detonated in North Sinai’s Al-Arish, Egypt’s interior ministry has said.
Four Egyptian army personnel killed in North Sinai: Armed forces Four Egyptian armed forces personnel were killed in North Sinai amid ongoing operations against militants, according to a statement released Saturday by the spokesperson for the Egyptian armed forces.
One passerby killed, another injured in Cairo by roadside IED A passerby was killed and another injured when an IED exploded on a road in Greater Cairo`s Ain Shams district on Friday.
Egypt`s interior ministry arrests five for Friday`s IED attack in Cairo Egypt`s interior ministry announced Sunday that it arrested five men suspected of carrying out an improvised explosive device attack on Gesr Al Suez road in Cairo hours after the explosion killed one civilian on Friday.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
Snapshot: Cairo in Berlin Nourhan Khalid introduces “Cairo in Berlin,” a collection of photographs observing Middle Eastern and Arab traces in the cosmopolitan city of Berlin.
Arabic
عن حرية التعبير وحدودها المقبولة The article discusses the extent to which freedom of expression should be limited.
حبس مدير صفحة «تمت الترجمة» على فيسبوك بتهم التظاهر وقطع الطريق والانضمام للإخوان Egyptian cyber satirist was arrested on charges of “calling for protests” and “joining Muslim Brotherhood.”
قضية النوبة بين التدويل وقمع الدولة Nubians decide to take their case to international court to settle their dispute with the Egyptian government while the latter continues to deny their rights.
المؤتمر الوطني للشباب.. السيسي أب متسلط Egyptian youth dissatisfied with Sisi’s youth conference criticized the government’s crackdown on youth through arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances.
مصر: أول حكم نهائي بالمؤبّد على بديع Egypt’s Cassation Court hands a life sentence to Mohammed Badie, supreme guide of Muslim Brotherhood.
(ثلاجة السيسي" تجتاح مواقع التواصل (فيديو" The hashtag #Sisi_Fridge was trending on social media following Sisi’s comment at a youth conference that he had “nothing but water in his fridge.”
لاجارد: مصر تواجه أزمة عملة According to Christine Lagarde, Egypt is facing a “currency crisis” that needs to be tackled in order to secure an IMF loan.
مزيد من الانخفاض للجنيه المصري The Egyptian pound continues to drop despite the government’s economic reform measures.
محكمة النقض المصرية تؤيد الحكم ببراءة سامح فهمي وزير البترول الأسبق في قضية بيع الغاز الطبيعي لإسرائيل Egypt’s Court of Cassation acquitted former minister of petroleum, Sameh Fahmy, of charges of selling natural gas to Israel at low prices.
مصر | الاختيار بين الصّبر والفوضى... معادلة السيسي المرهقة Speaking at a youth conference, Sisi has not provided a vision to overcome the challenges that threaten the biggest production companies.
المستشار مجدي العجاتي يعلن انتهاء الحكومة من تعديل قانون التظاهر Legal affairs minister declares that the ministerial committee on “protest law” has drafted amendments to the current law.