TOP STORIES
Legal & Political Institutions
The Egyptian cabinet make-up will be revealed in the coming days, according to government officials. Reportedly, the finance minister and several others will likely remain in their posts. According to Reuters, “keeping the main minister could allow [President] Sisi to quickly implement the types of reform urged by” external funders. [Reuters]
Gender & Sexuality
The ministerial committee that has been tasked with strategizing the issue of sexual harassment. The plan has nine main points: 1) Increased police presence in public areas 2) Special police task force to work with ministry’s human rights sector, 3) the NCW, and civil society “Activating implementation” of sexual harassment law, 4) Research studies into incidents of harassment and sexual violence to create national strategy; 5) implementation of recommendations made by previous research studies on sexual violence; 6) increased role in education/culture/religion/sports institutes to educate youth; 7) TV series screened during Ramadan that promotes women’s rights; 8) Publicized of NCW’s hotline for reporting harassment; 9) State hospitals to be tasked with treatment of victims of sexual assault. [Ahram, Daily News Egypt, Egypt SIS] Read More…
Marginalized Groups
Five people were arrested in connection with a sit-in they held to protest their dire living conditions. Security forces dispersed the sit-in, arresting five, including two minors, who now face charges of blocking roads and assaulting security forces. The ECESR reported on the incident saying that the dispersal of the residents’ sit in is the latest “in a long series of suffering, which began with displacing them from their original homes and moving them to an area far away from their places of work.” [Daily News Egypt] Read More..
Rights & Freedoms
A press conference was held at the Journalists’ Syndicate to address the recent court verdict against 25 activists in the “Shura Council” trial. The defendants were sentenced to 15 years in prison for staging an illegal protest and rioting, a conviction that many human rights organizations have condemned. [Ahram]
Security Sector
A police officer was shot during clashes between Muslim Brotherhood protesters and police forces in Sharqiya. The pro-Brotherhood demonstrators held a march in the city of Minya al-Amh, which security forces dispersed with tear gas. 13 people total were arrested. [Aswat Masriya, Reuters, Ahram]
Economy
President Sisi participated in a bicycle marathon organized by the Ministry of Youth in order to encourage Egyptians to commute to school and work using bicycles to save both the citizens and the state money. [Reuters, Daily News Egypt, Ahram, Egypt SIS] Read More…
Foreign Relations
The UK Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East released a statement addressing his concerns with the recent conviction of Alaa Abdel Fattah and 24 other activists. He says, “Egypt’s constitution rightly demands respect for freedom of expression and association and I call on the new Egyptian government to ensure that they implement these rights for Egyptian citizens, including by reviewing the Protest Law.” [Gov.UK]
MORE STORIES
Gender & Sexuality
Egypt calls for the removal of Tahrir sexual assault video from Youtube
Aswat Masriya: Egypt asks YouTube to remove video of sexual assault victim
Reuters: Egypt asks YouTube to remove video of sexual assault victim
Mada Masr: Egypt calls on YouTube to take down sexual assault video
Egypt Independent: Detention renewed for six suspects over Tahrir sexual assault
In this article: Egypt has asked Youtube to remove the controversial video that portrays the brutal sexual assault of a woman in Tahrir Square during the celebrations of Sisi’s inauguration last week. “The Egyptian embassy in Washington DC and a number of Egyptian authorities, at the direction of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, have requested the YouTube administration to remove the video of the sexual assault victim,” Sisi’s spokesman said.
Human Rights Watch calls on Egypt to take immediate action against sexual harassment
HRW: Egypt: Take Concrete Action to Stop Sexual Harassment, Assault
In this article: Human Rights Watch calls on Egyptian authorities to move swiftly and quickly to combat all forms of violence against women, particularly addressing the mob sexual assaults that took place in Tahrir on June 8. “This level of attention to sexual harassment from an Egyptian president needs to be judged by what actually results,” said Rothna Begum, women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. “A comprehensive national strategy would be a vital step toward stopping attacks on women, if implemented.”
Marginalized Groups
Interior Ministry works to remove unauthorized street vendors to “restore security”
Ahram: Police launch crackdown on street vendors in Cairo, governorates
In this article: The interior ministry has launched a campaign to clear Egyptian streets of unauthorized street vendors, in order to “restore security.” Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab told Al-Ahram Arabic that the interior ministry is planning to intensify security forces in the areas where the vendors were removed, in order to ensure that they don’t return to the same spots.
Economy
Suez Port expansion projects plan to “bolster food reserves and attract investment”
Ahram:Egypt pushing ahead with Suez port expansion projects
In this article: Egypt is planning to develop new wheat storage facilities and also expand port operations in Suez in order to “bolster food reserves and attract investment.” Hassan Falah, chairman of the Red Sea Ports Authority, said it had recently issued a tender to develop a wheat storage site with a capacity of 2 million tonnes at the port of Adabiya. He declined to disclose the value of the project. “There are a number of Egyptian banks who are willing to fund the project with any investors and one of them is the National Bank of Egypt,” Falah said on a trade visit to Britain this week. “In six months, the winner of the tender will be known.”