Top News: Egypt Arrests another Al-Jazeera Journalist; Detained Journalist’s Health Deteriorates

The Egyptian authorities arrested on Wednesday a correspondent for Al Jazeera on charges of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and inciting and taking part in violence. Ali AbdelRahman Shaheen, who works for the Qatar-based television network, is also accused of broadcasting false news that mislead the public.
POLITICS

PEC modifies candidate qualification process; foreign ministry preparing for elections
Secretary General of the Presidential Election Committee (PEC) Counselor Abdel-Aziz Salman stated that the PEC changed its requirement that nominees should visit the PEC headquarters to present their nomination application along with 25,000 signatures. This step could now be done by a legal representative of the nominee, he said. Meanwhile, the PEC has finalized the voters’ lists that included 53 million and 309,000 eligible voters in Egypt and abroad. The Egyptian foreign ministry told Al-Masry Al-Youm that it is intensifying its preparations for voting abroad in the upcoming presidential election. The polls for Egyptians voting abroad will be open from May 15-18 and will be held at Egyptian embassies and consulates abroad. [SIS, 4/9/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Brotherhood releases lengthy statement condemning violence | Ahram Online
  • Sisi considers debates | Egypt Independent
  • Sisi Campaign in Alexandria: We have gathered 21,700 endorsements | Shorouk (Arabic)

COURTS

Egypt court hands eighteen ‘Muslim Brotherhood members’ jail terms for rioting
On Wednesday a Cairo criminal court handed out sentences ranging from three to seven years in prison for eighteen “Muslim Brotherhood members” on charges of inciting riots. The defendants were arrested last July during a demonstration in Cairo’s Shubra district supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi, the defendants are also accused of illegal assembly, thuggery and the possession of unlicensed arms. [Ahram Online, 4/9/2014]

Court rejects recusal request in Morsi trials
An appeal court has refused to recuse the judges in two cases involving ousted president Mohamed Morsi. Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazy and senior Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed al-Beltagy had demanded the recusal of the judges in their trials for espionage and escaping from prison. The appeal court ordered Hegazy and Beltagy to pay EGP 6,000 in fines for each of the two recusal cases. The court is now expected to set a date for the resumption of each of the two trials. [Ahram Online, AFP/DNE, Egypt Independent, 4/9/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Retrial of Mubarak, others over killing protesters to resume Wednesday | Egypt Independent

ECONOMY

Egypt economic growth to remain slow, says IMF
Growth in Egypt’s economy is expected to remain sluggish this year as political uncertainty keeps tourists and foreign investors away, according to the IMF. The economy was forecast to grow by 2.7 percent this year after expanding by 2.1 percent in 2013, the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook. [AFP/DNE, 4/8/2014]

New refinery promises some relief to Egypt fuel crisis
Construction of Egypt’s largest oil refinery, with capacity to produce half the volume of diesel currently being imported, is expected to begin next week, the project leader said. The Egyptian Refinery Company (ERC) plant will use fuel oil produced by an old refinery nearby as feedstock to produce 2.3 million tons of diesel per year. [Reuters, 4/9/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Cabinet kicks off food and commodities discounts | DNE
  • Egyptian pound weakens at C.Bank dollar sale, on black market | DNE
  • Egypt’s Pioneers Holding 2013 profit rises 37 percent | DNE
  • Egypt to set standards for coal usage within month | Aswat Masriya

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Unrest continues on university campuses
Security forces entered Al-Azhar University’s campus on Wednesday to contain student protests held to denounce alleged police violations and a targeting of female students at the university’s dormitories in the east Cairo district of Nasr City. Al Masry Al Youm reports that clashes were also seen on Wednesday at Ain Shams University, as security forces fired teargas at pro-Brotherhood students after an attempt to storm the faculty of commerce. Protests have also continued at Minya University, where security forces arrested nine students accused, according to Shorouk of storming a police station. Meanwhile, Al-Azhar University’s student union issued a statement affirming that it would seriously escalate its stance against the university’s administration. At Cairo University, representatives of nine student unions organized a press conference Thursday condemning the suggestion made by the Dean’s Council allowing Central Security Forces (CSF) on campus. [Ahram Online, DNE, Mada Masr, 4/9/2014]

Egypt arrests another Al Jazeera journalist; detained journalist’s health deteriorating   
The Egyptian authorities arrested on Wednesday a correspondent for Al Jazeera on charges of belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and inciting and taking part in violence. Ali AbdelRahman Shaheen, who works for the Qatar-based television network, is also accused of broadcasting false news that mislead the public. Meanwhile, the family of another Al Jazeera journalist, Abdullah al-Shamy, detained in Egypt for almost eight months has called for his release, saying his health is failing due to a months-long hunger strike. Arrested on charges of violence and thuggery during clashes in downtown Cairo on August 14, Shami’s family urged rights groups and fellow journalists to call for his release. [Reuters, Aswat Masriya, Egypt Independent, Ahram Online, AFP/DNE, 4/9/2014]

Also of Interest:

SECURITY

Aswan tribes extend truce after deadly violence as death toll reaches twenty-six
Aswan’s Bani Hilal and Daboudya tribes  agreed on Wednesday to extend their three-day truce to a month a few hours before it ended, the head of Arab tribes in Aswan, Salem Abu Ghazela said. Efforts will be made during the one-month truce to reach a final reconciliation between the two tribes and find out the real assailants, according to Abu Ghazela.  Egyptian Premier Ibrahim Mahlab will visit the troubled governorate again on Sunday. The death toll reached twenty-six on Tuesday after a man died from injuries suffered during the clashes last week. An alliance of twenty-one political parties submitted an initiative to end the violence in Aswan on Wednesday. The Egyptian security forces shut down communication networks in Aswan as part of an operation to disarm the feuding tribes. The communications outage which lasted several hours affected telephone and internet lines. On Tuesday, presidential advisor, Ahmed al-Muslimany, accused the Muslim Brotherhood of exploiting the violence in Aswan for their own gain. [Aswat Masriya, DNE, Mada Masr, 4/9/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Sobhi: Armed Forces keen on upgrading combat abilities | SIS

INTERNATIONAL

African Union delegation requests meeting with Brotherhood alliance
The African Union’s Wise Men Committee, which is currently visiting Egypt, has requested meeting the Muslim Brotherhood-led National Alliance to Support Legitimacy on Wednesday. Omar Azzam, leader with the Arab Consolidation Party, said the delegation called for meeting with the alliance on Wednesday during communications with Brotherhood figure Mohamed Ali Beshr, former local development minister. [Egypt Independent, 4/8/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Russian military delegation arrives in Cairo | Shorouk (Arabic)
  • Libya restricts border crossing from Egypt | Aswat Masriya
  • Egypt urges more talks before dam project continues | Mada Masr
  • Makhlas Qutob criticizes Ghanoushi’s statements concerning dialogue with brotherhood | EGYNews (Arabic)
  • Fahmy and Abbas meet ahead of emergency Arab League meeting | DNE
  • UNDP launches environmental protection workshop in Egypt | Ahram Online