[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
HRW and Amnesty International request investigation of ‘extrajudicial killings’ in leaked video Video footage that is claimed to be leaked from a military operation and shows individuals wearing Egyptian Armed Forces uniforms executing unarmed men in North Sinai at close range was authenticated by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International last Friday.
Egypt drops 2 places on World Press Freedom Index Egypt has dropped two places on the 2017 World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders. The organization reports that Egypt, which now ranks 161 out of 180 states, is “One of the world’s biggest prisons for journalists.”
Admin of Facebook page arrested after publishing documents on VoIP services block A Facebook page critical of telecommunication companies and state communication policies announced on Friday that one of its administrators was arrested from his home Friday at dawn by National Security forces.
Parliament considers social media draft law, would refer unmonitored Facebook users to trial Paving the way for state surveillance over social media networks in Egypt, writer of the social media draft law MP Rayed Abdel Sattar told Egypt Independent on Sunday that sixty Members of Parliament have approved its potential discussion in Parliament.
Wagdy Ghoneim, 2 others sentenced to death for illegal organization Islamist preacher Wagdy Ghoneim and two others were handed death sentences on Sunday by Cairo Criminal Court for their involvement in establishing an “illegal organization.”
`Our strategic goal is to preserve the Egyptian state,` Sisi tells youth conference Egypt`s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday that his strategic goal is to preserve the existence of the Egyptian state.
Public satisfaction with Egypt`s parliament drops to 30 percent, down 5 points on last year: Baseera poll Only thirty percent of Egyptians are satisfied with the performance of the country`s parliament, a drop of five percentage points on last year, according to new research conducted by the independent Egyptian Centre for Public Opinion Research.
Egypt’s parliament passes controversial judicial authority law Egypt’s House of Representatives passed on Wednesday a controversial law granting the president the power to appoint the heads of the country’s judicial bodies despite strong opposition from the judges` clubs.
Court ruling obliges authorities to register children from customary marriages An Egyptian court issued a ruling obliging authorities to register children from customary marriages, and issue them birth certificates.
Economy
Sisi praises Egyptian workers on May Day, says economic reform plan to create more jobs Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi praised on Sunday Egyptian workers and their role in the country’s economic development, in a celebration marking the international workers` holiday of 1 May.
IMF delegation to review Egypt`s austerity program within days Egypt`s Deputy Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said that a mission from the International Monetary Fund expects to visit Cairo this week to conduct reviews on the extent to which the Egyptian government has fulfilled its commitments to the economic and social reform program it had earlier submitted to the Fund.
A disconnect of interest: The social injustice hidden in Egypt’s monetary policy The weeks leading up to the International Monetary Fund’s visit to Cairo, which begins today, have seen the international lender signal that the Egyptian government needs to maintain or raise already high interest rates as a means to curb inflation.
Egypt eases restrictions on importation and burning of coal, environmentalists warn of implications Rights groups and environmentalists warn the Egyptian government’s recent easing of restrictions on the import and industrial use of coal threatens the health of the population and the environment.
In post-revolution Egypt, a fierce fight over coal imports The fight to preserve a long-standing ban on coal imports galvanized Egypt’s environmental movement, cost a Cabinet minister her post and ultimately demonstrated the continued influence of powerful business lobbies in post-revolution Egypt.
Chairman of Suez Canal Authority Mamish to take charge of Suez Economic Zone, replacing Ahmed Darwish Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree Sunday appointing chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Mohab Mamish as head of the canal’s economic authority as well, replacing Ahmed Darwish.
Foreign Relations
Egyptian parliament slams HRW report urging Germany to scrap security agreement with Egypt The Egyptian parliament`s Human Rights Committee attacked on Wednesday the New York-based Human Rights Watch over their report issued this week urging the German parliament not to approve an Egyptian-German security agreement on fighting terrorism.
Egypt bans 2 Sudanese journalists from entering the country Egyptian airport authorities banned two Sudanese journalists from entering the country on Monday, two days after Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Sudan to address growing tensions between the two countries over a number of issues.
Pope Francis to demand halt to money, arms that support violence in Cairo speech Pope Francis is set to call for the end to the flow of arms and money to support acts of violence, in a speech at al-Azhar headquarters scheduled for Cairo afternoon.
Pope Francis in Egypt: A voice of reason The pope has sent a strong message against Islamophobia and for religious and individual freedoms.
Popes Francis and Tawadros` baptism declaration: Positive step but not full solution Roman Catholic Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros signed on Friday a mutual declaration that each of their respective churches will seek to acknowledge baptisms performed in the other church.
Domestic Security
Kidnappings lead to heightened tensions between militants and North Sinai tribes Local tribal leaders in the North Sinai capital of Arish held meetings on Sunday to discuss defusing heightened tensions, after two Fawakhariya tribesmen were kidnapped by Islamic State-affiliated militants. Members of the Fawakhariya tribe, one of the largest in Arish, have been staging protests since Friday in response to the abductions.
Province of Sinai claims responsibility for attack targeting Tarabin tribesmen A suicide bombing at a checkpoint near Rafah has killed several members of one of North Sinai’s most prominent tribes. Islamic State-affiliate Province of Sinai claimed responsibility for the Tuesday attack, which marks the most recent development in ongoing tensions between the Tarabin tribe and Province of Sinai.
Policeman killed, two injured in North Sinai bombing A police officer was killed and two policemen were injured Thursday afternoon when an improvised explosive device detonated in North Sinai’s al-Arish city.
From Jadaliyya Egypt
يم القاهرة Ibrahim Mahfouz examines the socioeconomic ebb and flow of the city of Cairo.
Arabic
تأييد حبس اثنين من متهمي «مظاهرات الأرض» بالإسكندرية سنتين و50 ألف جنيه غرامة Muharram Bey Criminal Court upheld two-year sentences and fifty thousand Egyptian pounds bail against two Tiran and Sanafir demonstrators.
سعر الفائدة في مواجهة التضخم: هل يدرك صندوق النقد تضحيات المصريين؟ Analysts discuss the threats posed by IMF economic measures on Egypt and how the interest rates hike sought to contain inflation will only benefit the creditors.
!السيسي في «مؤتمر الشباب»: أنا أو الفوضى President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s speech at the youth conference in Ismailia Wednesday made several references to his intention to run for a second term and stressed that any popular action against him would “threaten Egypt`s future.”
معتقلون بسجن العقرب المصري يضربون عن الطعام Al Aqrab political prisoners set hunger strike following the increase in arbitrary procedures of the prison administration, which withheld medical exams, the Egyptian Committee for the Defense of Detainees said.
التأديب والصلاحية» يبدأ التحقيق مع قاضيي قانون منع التعذيب.. والجلسة المقبلة 19 يونيو« Disciplinary board will resume investigations of two judges over drafting a bill against torture on 19 June.
السيسي يوجه الحكومة بمنح «المنافذ غير المرخصة» للشباب تصاريح مؤقتة President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on the government to grant unlicensed outlets and cafeterias temporary permits until the situation is legally fixed.
حقوقيون: تعديلات «الإجراءات الجنائية» تخل بالمحاكمة العادلة The twenty-two adopted amendments to the Criminal Procedures Code pose a far significant threat to a fair trial system, activists warn.
تعديل قانون الأزهر.. أزمة مستمرة فى البرلمان MP Mohammed Abu Hamid’s bill to amend Law No. 103 of 1961 on the regulation of Al-Azhar and its bodies spurred controversy among members of the Religious Committee because it contained articles authorizing the punishment of Sheikh Al-Azhar.
تحليل| هل يهدد برلمان علي عبد العال شرعية نظام السيسي؟ Tension has been intensified between legislative and judicial powers following the approval of controversial judicial bodies’ law.
»تزامنًا مع فعاليات مؤتمر الشباب بالإسماعيلية..هاشتاج «مش عايزين السيسي» يتصدر تويتر.. وساخرون: «كفاية إنجازات #We_don’t_want_sisi hashtag went viral on social media, showing a growing popular rage against Sisi’s failed policies.
نواب "25-30" يرفضون تمرير قانون السلطة القضائية35 Members of Parliament held a press conference to voice their opposition to the recently approved amendments to the judicial bodies’ law, which was rejected by all judicial bodies.
غرفة الملاحة: تتوقع ارتفاع إيرادات قناة السويس لـ7 مليارات دولار The Suez Canal revenues are expected to reach seven billion dollars in 2018 compared to five billion dollars the current year.
نيابة النقض تُوصي بتأييد حبس "دومة" في إهانة القضاء Cassation Court handed down three-year prison sentence and a fine of ten thousand Egyptian pounds to activist Ahmad Douma over insulting judge Nagi Shehata.
الأزهر بين خلع عمامة الدين وارتداء عباءة السلطة The dispute between Al-Azhar and the state in Egypt has reached a dead end, as the political leadership seeks to regulate the law of Al-Azhar and its bodies.
شبهة عدم دستورية» تهدد تعديلات قانون الطوارئ«The parliament passed controversial amendments to the Emergency Law on Wednesday, a measure likely to restrict citizens freedom under the state of emergency without a judicial order.
مصر كبلد منتجة للنخب Amr Adly writes about the problem of gap between the elite and society in Egypt.
»مسئولون لـ«الشروق»: تفاهم مرتقب مع السعودية لوقف تسليم «تيران وصنافير A possibility of understanding will be reached with Saudi Arabia on the annulment of Tiran and Sanafir demarcation agreement, a well-informed source said.
القوات المسلحة: تنسيق كامل مع الأجهزة الأمنية لتأمين زيارة بابا الفاتيكان Armed forces were deployed on high alert during Pope Francis historic two-day visit to Egypt.