Top News: Interim President Pledges Help for Australian Al Jazeera Journalist

Egypt’s interim president has pledged to help resolve the controversial trial of jailed Australian journalist Peter Greste, in a letter that the reporter’s Al Jazeera channel called an “encouraging sign.” Adly Mansour, the interim president appointed after Mohamed Morsi’s ouster, said he would “spare no effort to work towards the speedy resolution of the case, in a fashion consistent with the law, and that guarantees the reunion of the family in the near future.”
POLITICS

No real financial supervision on ministry of interior, says Egypt’s top auditor
Head of Central Auditing Organization (CAO) Hisham Geneina said that there is no real financial supervision of the interior ministry and that CAO auditors were mistreated upon attempting to complete inspection at the ministry. The Head of CAO also revealed that the CAO auditors and officials were not given access to the financial records and files of the ministry. Geneina gave examples of financial violations, hinting that the most financially corrupt sector in the ministry was the general security sector. [Ahram Online, 3/19/2014]

Interim president pledges help for Australian Al Jazeera journalist
Egypt’s interim president has pledged to help resolve the controversial trial of jailed Australian journalist Peter Greste, in a letter that the reporter’s Al Jazeera channel called an “encouraging sign.” Adly Mansour, the interim president appointed after Mohamed Morsi’s ouster, said he would “spare no effort to work towards the speedy resolution of the case, in a fashion consistent with the law, and that guarantees the reunion of the family in the near future.” Mansour also stressed the “independence of the judiciary authority” and that Greste’s rights “are guaranteed by the law.” A relative of Greste provided a copy of the letter to AFP, sent to his family in Arabic and English. The presidency has confirmed it sent a letter. An Al Jazeera spokesman said Mansour’s letter shows that “our journalists were doing their job and have no case to answer.” [DNE, AFP/Egypt Independent, 3/18/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Ibrahim Mahlab: We want to support Al-Azhar … its efforts demonstrate a change in Egyptian streets | Shorouk (Arabic)

COURTS

Cairo court sentences twenty-six to death in absentia for terrorism offenses
A Cairo criminal court sentenced twenty-six people to death and one person to fifteen years in prison for terrorism offences.The defendants were tried in absentia on charges including planning attacks on ships passing through the Suez Canal, manufacturing missiles and explosives to carry out attacks, monitoring and planning to attack security targets, and possession of guns, automatic rifles, explosives and ammunition. Investigations showed the defendants were calling for attacks on army and police personnel, Christians and tourists, all of whom they deemed infidels. According to defense lawyer Abdel Aziz, five of the defendants are already in detention, but they did not attend the session. A retrial is expected because the defendants were sentenced in absentia. [Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, Shorouk (Arabic)

Also of Interest:

  • Trial of Mubarak over presidential palaces case resumed | Aswat Masriya

ECONOMY

Egypt to modify food subsidy system within three months
The Egyptian government will implement a new food subsidy system within three months starting with a pilot project that will be implemented in Port Said next month. Supply minister, Khaled Hanafi announced that he is going to modify the food subsidy system in order to widen the range of goods offered to consumers. The new system will also fix a limit for bread use per person that will be controlled through smart cards. [Ahram Online, 3/18/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Egypt main index hits record highs on Tuesday as foreign investors buy | Ahram Online
  • Philips and Shell provide solar lighting to a Marsa Matruh village | DNE

SOCIETY & MEDIA

Child killed in  Beni Suef clashes as Brotherhood rallies in several governorates
Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-led National Alliance to Support Legitimacy (NASL) called for a new wave of protests to start on Wednesday, the third anniversary of the 19 March 2011 national referendum the Brotherhood supported. In Beni Suef a 13-year-old boy was shot dead in clashes between Egyptian police and protesters supporting deposed Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, a ministry official said. Security forces also moved to break up demonstrations at several Egyptian universities. In Alexandria, police fired tear gas when demonstrators tried to climb university fences. At Cairo University, hundreds of students supporting Morsi blocked traffic and chanted slogans supporting the Brotherhood. [Aswat Masriya (Arabic), Reuters, Egypt Independent, EGYNews (Arabic) AMAY (Arabic), Shorouk (Arabic), Ahram Online3/19/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Human Rights body to visit juvenile detention center in Alexandria | Ahram Online

SECURITY

Two army officers, five militants killed in raid on Nile Delta ‘terrorist’ hideout
An Egyptian army brigadier general and a colonel were killed on Wednesday in a shootout with members of a Sinai-based Islamist militant group, the Interior Ministry said. It said five militants were killed and four arrested when the military and police raided a bomb and weapons storage facility in the Nile Delta’s Qalyubeya. The fighters belonged to Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, one of Egypt’s most active militant organizations, the ministry said. The military said “a large quantity of explosives” was found in the hideout, with the interior ministry saying militants had used explosive belts during the confrontation. [Reuters, AP, AFP, DNE, Ahram Online, Egypt Independent, 3/19/2014]

Also of Interest:

INTERNATIONAL

Israel urges US to resume aid to Egypt
Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy said the armed forces sent several Apache helicopters to the United States for maintenance but they haven’t yet been returned. In an interview with the privately-owned TV channel MBC Masr, Fahmy disclosed that there has been a communication recently between him and his counterpart John Kerry during which they tackled bilateral interests as well as local and foreign situations. Meanwhile, Israel is urging Washington and a number of senior congressmen to resume aid to Egypt, and provide the supply of the Apache helicopters to the Egyptian army, intensely lobbying on behalf of Egypt’s interim government. A senior Israeli official told Haaretz that Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Ron Dermer, and other embassy diplomats talked about the matter with high-ranking US officials during the last week. [Egypt Independent, Haaretz, Shorouk (Arabic), 3/19/2014]

Also of Interest:

  • Hamas calls Egypt blockade a ‘crime against humanity’ | Reuters
  • Carter Center proposes civilian oversight of military | Mada Masr
  • Egyptian rights groups submit report to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights | Egypt Independent