Egypt Media Roundup – Jun 20, 2014


TOP STORIES

Legal & Political Institutions

An Egyptian court has sentenced several Muslim Brotherhood leaders to death for incitement of murder related to clashes in 2013 outside the Al-Isteqama mosque in Giza. The Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide, Mohamed Badie, as well as leaders Safwat Hegazi and Mohamed El-Beltagy were also sentenced, alongside 11 others. The sentences will be carried out pending the Grand Mutfi’s approval. [Ahram

Marginalized Groups

A prominent writer and professor, Nasser Abdallah, called for the mass execution of street children in an article written for Al Masry Al Youm. What he entitled, the “Brazilian Solution” called for a replication of Brazil’s mass killings of street children in the 1990s to control their rising numbers. The article was later removed from its website after AMAY’s legal team intervened, but still caused controversy on social media, and the Egyptian Coalition for Children’s Rights released a statement announcing its plans to file a complaint against Abdallah. [Mada Masr

Rights & Freedoms

The Daily Beast reports on political dissidents disappearing,with those who manage to escape claiming they were held in secret prisons and “severely tortured” for their activism and dissidence. [Daily BeastRead More…

Economy

The Coca Cola company plans to begin production in five new factories in Egypt and Pakistan over the next year and a half, in a $500 million investment project. “Egypt is going to be one of our key anchor countries,” Curt Ferguson said on Wednesday, citing the country’s large and growing population as a big positive. [Ahram

Foreign Relations 

Over forty senior academics, including over a dozen former presidents of the Middle East Studies Association have signed a letter address to President Obama and Secretary Kerry calling on the administration to demand the immediate release of political prisoners in Egypt. [JadaliyyaRead More…

 

MORE STORIES

Gender & Sexuality

 Mona El Tahawy: Egypt needs a campaign that focuses on aiding the survivor to really tackle sexual violence 

NYT: Egypt’s Sexual Violence

In this article: Mon El Tahawy writes on the battle between Islamists and military rulers over whether Egypt will “free itself of authoritarianism” and allow women to reenter the public sphere. Referencing the subjugation of women via sexual violence, El Tahawy notes, that Egypt needs “a comprehensive campaign that tackles sexual violence with a focus on aiding the survivor rather than blaming her.”

 Taxo Driver in Cairo fined for harassing woman during anti-harassment protest 

Al Arabiya: Egypt court fines man after ‘sexy girl’ remark

In this article: A court in Cairo fined a taxi driver 5,000 EGP for harassing a woman who was participating in a protest against sexual harassment. The driver said to the woman, “make way ‘mozza’ [hot girl]” and was reported to authorities by the woman and witnesses. Although the girl who was harassed dropped the charges, the judge issued the fine anyway.

Rights & Freedoms

 8 Human Rights Organizations file lawsuit against MOI’s social media surveillance plans 

Ahram:Egyptian rights groups challenge govt internet surveillance plans

Mada Masr:Rights groups file lawsuit to halt state’s Internet tracking

AFTE: Administrative court lawsuit to stop social media surveillance

In this article: A group of eight human rights organizations filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Interior’s new plans to monitor social media networks. “The system does not only threaten the privacy of millions of social media users in the private sphere,” the statement argued, “but also threatens public freedoms for its ongoing public monitoring of what individuals do on the social media platforms that have become an integral part of the public sphere.”

 MB Leader Mohamed Hendawy sentenced to 15 years in prison for inciting 7AM Movement protest 

Egypt Independent: Brotherhood leader in Alexandria sentenced to 15 years for inciting girls’ protests

In this article: Alexandria’s Sidi Gaber Misdemeanor court sentenced Hendawy to 15 years in prison for inciting protests and coordinating with the 7AM Movement, which consists of 21 girls (mostly under the age of 18) who reject the coup and have pledged loyalty to the deposed Muhammad Morsi. In 2013, the 7AM Movement received an 11 year sentence for blocking traffic in Alexandria, which was later reduced to a suspended six-month term.

 EIPR urges Egyptian state authorities to accept accountability for the violent aftermath of the coup 

EIPR: In its report on the most significant incidents of violence in the summer of 2013: EIPR urgest fair accountability for those responsible for victims of violence

In this article: The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights issued a report titled “Weeks of Killing: State Violence, Communal Violence, and Sectarian Attacks in the Summer of 2013.” In this report, EIPR estimated the statistics detailing the number of victims at each incident of violence, condemned the human rights violations perpetrated by the state. EIPR also holds members of the Muslim Brotherhood accountable for inciting unnecessary conflict “through their direct involvement in violence against public institutions or private property” and “their use of hate speech and incitement to sectarian discrimination. Report Link.

 Prisoner dies at Matareya police station the day before his release 

Mada Masr: Another detainee dies at Matareya police station

In this article: Ahmed Ibrahim al-Sayed, 23, died in the Matareya police station, most likely due to beating, neglect, and inhuman living conditions. Al-Sayed had been sentenced to three years on charges of theft but was released one year early on good conduct. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of al-Sayed’s death. This is the second reported fatality at the Matareya police station in less than one month.

 Al Jazeera ends contracts of dozens of employees in its Egypt officers 

Buzzfeed World: Al Jazeera is shutting down its offices in Egypt and firing its staff

In this article: Egyptian authorities have been cracking down especially hard on Al Jazeera, “which is seen as an extension of Qatar’s pro-Muslim Brotherhood agenda,” which led the media outlet to fire their remaining employees in Egypt and close their offices. Of the few employees who remained after the Dec. 29 2013 incident when Al Jazeera reporters were arrested at the Cairo Marriott, most did not report for the news team “due to fears that any person with a connection to the network was at risk of arrest.”

 The Muslim Brotherhood calls on youths to disseminate religious stickers in defiance of the MOI 

Egypt Independent: Brotherhood defies Interior Ministry, threatens to place Prophet stickers in all squares

In this article: The MB asked its members to place religious stickers bearing the phrase “Pray for the Prophet” across Egypt’s urban centers, in response to an Interior Ministry order banning religious stickers on cars and in the streets. The group has already begun spreading the stickers, placing them in Minya and Port Said, and has stated that it “does not fear any power hostile to Islam.”

Security Sector

 12 suspected militants receive death sentence for murdering police officer 

Yahoo! News: 12 sentenced to death for killing Egypt officer

In this article: During a raid on an Islamist stronghold outside of Cairo in September 2013, General Nabil Farrag, along with 15 other policemen, was killed and mutilated by militants who had taken control of the town. Of the twelve men convicted for the murder, 9 defendants were present at the court ruling, while others were sentenced in absentia. The murder is considered to be one of the “grisliest assaults on security forces” in recent months. “Judge Khafagi referred the ruling to the Grand Mufti to review it before the final decision is pronounce on August 6.”

Foreign Relations

 U.S. aid bill would shift Egypt’s foreign aid toward Central America 

Politico: Senate chops aid to Egypt

In this article: Budget pressures have led the US senate to reallocate foreign aid away from Egypt, toward Central American, to addresss the “violent crime and economic ills that have been driving the wave of child migrants crossing the southwest border to Texas.” Egypt’s aid would be cut by $400 million according to the Senate bill. House Republicans, on the other hand, would only cut Egypt’s support by a total of $50 million. On the subject of the bill, Senator Lindsey Graham said, “I want to help Egypt, but Egypt has to help itself.”