The trial of twenty people accused of creating “a terrorist media network” and spreading false news continued on Tuesday at Tora prison. Journalists in the courtroom reported that, for the first time, they were kicked out of the courtroom during the recess.


POLITICS

Egypt’s PEC to begin accepting objections to presidential candidates
Egypt’s Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) will begin to accept objections to presidential applicants from Tuesday through Wednesday before announcing official presidential candidates on 2 May. Only two candidates applied to PEC for the presidential elections; former defense minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and leftist Politician Hamdeen Sabbahi. The committee will continue to receive requests until Wednesday. The final list of accepted candidates will be announced on May 2. [Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya, 4/22/2014]

Also of Interests:

  • New candidate symbols on Egypt election forms | Ahram Online
  • Sisi to reduce campaign size, media reports | Mada Masr


COURTS

Court imposes gag order on Morsi espionage trial
A Cairo criminal court imposed a media ban on the espionage trial of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi during Tuesday’s session. The trial of thirty-six Muslim Brotherhood leaders, including Morsi, was adjourned to April 28 to allow witness testimonies to be heard and evidence to be collected. During the trial, defense lawyers called on the court to merge the espionage case with the Wadi Natrun prison break case, in which Morsi is also a defendant. [Ahram Online,Aswat Masriya (Arabic), Egypt Independent, 4/22/2014]

Al Jazeera trial resumes as journalists temporarily kicked out of court
The trial of twenty people accused of creating “a terrorist media network” and spreading false news continued on Tuesday at Tora prison. Journalists in the courtroom reported that, for the first time, they were kicked out of the courtroom during the recess. Journalists were admitted back into the courtroom on the condition that they do not speak to or photograph the defendants during recesses. Earlier, the court watched Al Jazeera clips that prosecutors claimed supported the charges against the journalists. The defendants go into the sixth session of the trial having been denied bail for the second time by the judge during the previous session on April 10. Twelve of the twenty are being tried in absentia, and among the eight in custody are three Al Jazeera journalists. Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird said he received assurances from his counterpart that the trial process would be fair. [DNE, Egypt Independent, Huffington Post, 4/22/2014]

Also of Interest:


ECONOMY

Egypt budget could see 14 percent deficit in 2014-15
Egypt’s budget deficit could reach 14 percent in fiscal year 2014-15 if economic reforms are not applied, but the deficit may fall to 10 percent in case they are applied, a government official told Al-Ahram. Since taking office, Minister of Finance Hani Kadry Dimian affirmed that the budget deficit is expected to reach between 10-12 percent of GDP in 2013-14. [Cairo Post, 4/22/2014]

Egypt gas price hike to save government EGP 1 billion annually
Raising natural gas prices for households and small businesses is expected to save Egypt EGP 1 billion per year. A new pricing structure for natural gas was approved by the government on Sunday. The decree, which takes effect in May, exempts subsidized bread producers from the price increases. [Ahram Online, 4/22/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Egypt, Saudi Arabia, to sign two new agreements to facilitate trade | DNE
  • Electricity Minister: Six companies ask to carry out Dabaa nuclear project | SIS
  • Tourism industry objects to coal imports | Mada Masr
  • Cabinet raises natural gas prices | Mada Masr
  • Egypt supply minister: No plans to cancel subsidies | Egypt Independent
  • Mansour increases Egypt’s contribution to AFDB | Cairo Post

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Female activists plan presidential palace sit-in
A group of women activists will start a sit-in outside the presidential palace on Tuesday as part of a series of events calling for the repeal of the protest law. Nourhan Hefzy, the wife of Ahmed Douma, who was sentenced to three years in jail for breaking the protest law, said they would begin the sit-in by this evening, and there would be a march to the palace on April 26. The sit-in is a part of series of events against the protest law organized by The Way of the Revolution Front, an anti-military and anti-Muslim Brotherhood coalition, along with April 6 Youth Movement and a number of other youth movements and political parties. [Ahram Online, 4/22/2014]

Pro-Morsi alliance calls for protests at police, judges clubs
The political alliance demanding the reinstatement of deposed president Mohamed Morsi has called for fresh protests on Wednesday outside police and judges social activities clubs. In a statement on Monday, the Muslim Brotherhood-led National Alliance to Support Legitimacy urged its supporters to make Wednesday “a solemn, revolutionary day across the country, and let the epicenter of our protests be outside police and judges’ clubs.” [Egypt Independent, 4/22/2014]

Protests resume at Al-Azhar and Ain Shams universities
Security forces closed roads surrounding the defense ministry early Tuesday as demonstrations organized by Cairo’s Ain Shams University were scheduled to kick off. The students reportedly marched on campus to protest the presidential candidacy of ex-army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, as well as closing off Khalifa al-Ma’moun street before returning to campus. Demonstrators also denounced a recent university decision to advance the date of exams, as clashes continue to erupt between protesting students and security forces on university campuses nationwide. They also called for the release of their detained colleagues. Meanwhile Al-Azhar University also witnessed an anti-Sisi demonstration. Students lit fireworks at the demonstration, and police responded with teargas. [Ahram Online, 4/22/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Football association may name season after Sisi | Egypt Independent
  • Anti-harassment campaign intervened in seventeen harassment cases during Easter | DNE
  • “I Saw Harassment” demands interior ministry train employees on gender equality | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)
  • Diaa Rashwan calls on general prosecutor to release detained journalists | Shorouk (Arabic)
  • Popular Socialist Alliance calls for immediate release of detained members | DNE

SECURITY

Security defuses bombs in October 6 and Gharbeya
Giza explosives experts defused on Monday a bomb that was planted next to a church in the tenth district in October 6 City. Security services were notified about presence of strange body next to the church. Efforts have intensified to investigate the circumstances of the incident. In a similar incident police in Gharbeya defused a bomb discovered outside a district courthouse. The bomb consisted of a portable radio headset, gunpowder, and other explosive material. [Egypt Independent, 4/22/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Police arrest four suspects in Aswan tribal clashes | Mada Masr
  • Masked men open fire on security in Nasr City, police arrest one offender | Aswat Masriya (Arabic)
  • Soldiers survive militant attack in North Sinai | Egypt Independent
  • National Security identifies offenders responsible for assassinating officer in Lebanon Square | AMAY (Arabic)

INTERNATIONAL

Foreign Minister: Britain has no real desire to complete extradition agreement
In a recent meeting Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy explained to the head of the Union of Egyptians in Europe the reasons why there is not an extradition agreement between Egypt and the United Kingdom. According to Essam Abdel Samad, Fahmy expressed that Britain has no real desire to complete an extradition agreement between the two countries. [Shorouk (Arabic), 4/21/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Egypt and Qatar – the downs and ups | Ahram Online
  • Hungarian delegation for foreign affairs to visit Cairo on Wednesday | Shorouk (Arabic)
  • Saudi Arabia releases Egyptian fishing boat and six of its crew | Shorouk (Arabic)