Egyptian security forces seized supermarket chains on Sunday, Seoudi and Zad, owned by Muslim Brotherhood affiliated figures.
POLITICS
Sisi issues decree forming ‘legislation reform’ panel
Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi issued a presidential decree on Monday forming a Supreme Committee for legislation reform. The committee will be tasked with preparing, researching and studying draft laws as well as decrees issued by the president and prime minister that must be issued or amended in order to comply with the 2014 constitution. The panel will headed be by the prime minister and will include the ministers of parliamentary affairs and transitional justice, the head of the State Council, the state’s Mufti, Al-Azhar’s deputy, the head of the cabinet’s advisory board, the head of the State Council’s legislative department and the justice minister’s assistant for legislation. [Ahram Online, 6/16/2014]
New Egypt cabinet to be sworn in Tuesday
The new Egyptian government will be sworn into office on Tuesday, cabinet spokesperson Hossam Kaweesh has said. Meanwhile, Ministry of Industry and Trade Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour told Daily News Egypt that the final composition of Ibrahim Mahlab’s government will most likely be announced on Monday evening. He also confirmed that the ministry of investment would be separated from the ministry of industry and trade. Mahlab is slated to choose from two top candidates for the position of the new minister of investment, Ashraf Salman, CEO of Cairo Financial Holding and Mustafa Abdel-Wadood, CEO of Abraaj Capital. Additionally, Mahlab said Monday the new cabinet will not include the ministry of information, adding that it will include changes to ten portfolios. [Ahram Online, Reuters, Aswat Masriya, 6/16/2014]
Also of Interest:
- Pro-Sisi coalition to run for 100 percent of parliament seats | Aswat Masriya
COURTS
Egypt’s political groups to attend court session challenging protest law
Several Egyptian political groups have called on opponents of the protest law to head in numbers to Egypt’s State Council on Tuesday to attend the second court session of a case challenging the constitutionality of the controversial law. Seven political groups will take part, including the now-outlawed April 6 Youth Group and its offshoot, the April 6 Democratic Front, the Freedom for the Brave campaign and the Revolutionary Socialists. [Ahram Online, 6/16/2014]
Three sentenced to life imprisonment in ‘al-Zaytoun’ case
The Supreme State Security Court on Sunday sentenced three defendants to life imprisonment in the case known as “The al-Zaytoun Cell.” Of the twenty-five defendants, one was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment, two others were given seven years in prison, and the rest were acquitted. The defendants were accused of forming a jihadist terrorist group, Regiment of Loyalty and Disavowal, which has allegedly worked against the law and the constitution and carried out attacks on police, tourists and Christians. Mostafa Nassef, a defense lawyer, said the accusation was null and called, in his closing argument, for the defendants to be acquitted. [DNE, 6/16/2014]
Also of Interest:
- Morsi trial postponed to June 29 | DNE, Aswat Masriya
- Trial of al-Qaeda leader’s brother adjourned in first session | Mada Masr
- Shura Council defendants demand retrial | Mada Masr
- Case against two sexual harassment defendants adjourned to June 22 | Egypt Independent, Aswat Masriya
ECONOMY
Two supermarket chains closed for Brotherhood ties
Egyptian security forces seized supermarket chains on Sunday, Seoudi and Zad, owned by Muslim Brotherhood affiliated figures. Zad market is owned by prominent Brotherhood leader and businessman Khairat al-Shater, now in jail on a variety of charges. Seoudi is owned by the businessman Abdel Rahman Seoudi, who was arrested in 2007 and later acquitted of charges of belonging to the banned group. The raid follows a decision by a judicial committee, formed in 2013 to assess Muslim Brotherhood funds and to confiscate these properties. Shater’s daughter, Aisha, commented on the closure of Zad on her Facebook page, saying that the move has deprived workers of their jobs in the midst of an unemployment problem. [Ahram Online, Reuters, 6/15/2014]
US firm mulls solar energy investments in Egypt
US firm Concilio Group is studying solar energy projects in Egypt worth US$100 million (LE700 million).The project is intended to secure 300 megawatts of electricity per year over 25 years. During a meeting with Egypt’s Trade and Industry Minister Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, Concilio Group’s CEO, Oliver Meissner, said that Egypt enjoys great prospects for solar energy projects, and that its climate enables it to be among pioneers in the field. [Egypt Independent, 6/14/2014]
Also of Interest:
- Tourism industry to remain unaffected by subsidy cuts | DNE
- Farmers to hand in local wheat by 20 June maximum: Minister | Egypt Independent
- Egypt to issue $600 million in one-year dollar-denominated T-bills | Ahram Online
- Egypt banks donate 2 percent of their profits for economy | Cairo Post
- Egypt can realize high growth rate-Bourse chief | SIS
SOCIETY & MEDIA
Police confiscate human rights magazine
Police forces confiscated the new issue of “Wasla,” a publication issued by the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI), from the printing house on Saturday night. Police confiscated about 1,000 copies of the publication and arrested the print house worker who was present at the time. In a statement, ANHRI said that police officers refused to give lawyers a copy of the case documents, however they informed them verbally that the charges against ANHRI include printing a publication calling for the overthrow of the regime and inciting against it, as well as affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood. [Mada Masr, 6/15/2014]
Egypt Interior Ministry bans religious slogans on vehicles
Security forces will be removing from vehicles the widespread sticker asking onlookers “Have you praised the Prophet (Mohamed) today,” among other religious slogans, Deputy Interior Minister for Media Affairs Abdel-Fattah Osman said in a televised interview on Sunday.Talking to TV host Amr Adeeb in the Al-Qahera Al-Youm, Osman said this is not the first time the interior ministry launches a campaign against banners or stickers betraying religious affiliations which, he argued, could lead to “sectarian tendencies.” [Ahram Online, 6/16/2014]
Demonstrators rally against sexual harassment
Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the Cairo Opera House on Saturday evening to protest the ongoing phenomenon of sexual harassment and sexual assault on Egyptian streets. Dubbed “Walk Like An Egyptian Woman”, several anti-harassment groups were widely represented, including I Saw Harassment and Dignity Without Borders, while others came independently to express solidarity with the cause, many holding placards demanding women’s rights. Turnout for the demonstration was lower than initially expected after several groups pulled out when the controversial government-funded National Council for Women (NCW) announced they would participate in the rally. [DNE, Aswat Masriya, 6/16/2014]
Also of Interest:
- Coptic teacher gets six months in jail for ‘insulting Islam’ | Ahram Online, Aswat Masriya
- Salafi leader Borhamy forbids Watching World Cup matches | Egypt Independent, AP
- Rights group condemns law regulating religious sermons | Mada Masr
- Union formed to combat mass sexual assault | DNE
- Sexual assault video puts neglected issue to public debate | Egypt Independent
- Sisi’s wife visits sexual assault victim | Aswat Masriya
- Presidency has no accounts on social media | SIS
- June 21: Day of solidarity with political prisoners | Mada Masr
SECURITY
Egypt policeman killed in Cairo in clashes with Islamists
Clashes between Egyptian security forces and Islamist supporters of deposed President Mohamed Morsi on Monday left one policeman dead in southern Cairo, the interior ministry said in a statement. The shootout led to the killing of officer Mostafa Mohsen and the injury of two suspects. The ministry said that security forces clashed with followers of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group who it alleged were involved in violence, sabotage and attacks against police. It said in a statement that five of the group’s supporters were arrested near a suburb called May 15. [Aswat Masriya, 6/16/2014]
INTERNATIONAL
African Union’s Peace and Security Council to reconsider Egypt suspension
African Union (AU)’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) will convene on Tuesday to reconsider the suspension of Egypt’s membership and its return to its role within the union, upon a report drafted by the Committee of the Wise on Egypt which stressed that there was misunderstanding about June 30, describing it as a popular revolution. Representatives of fifteen countries of the council will meet in Addis Ababa on Tuesday to submit the committee’s report. Meanwhile, Burkina Faso’s leader Blaise Compaore invited President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to attend an Africa Summit taking place in Ouagadougou in September. The summit was called by members of the African Union (AU) and will focus on employment and poverty eradication in the continent. [Egypt Independent, SIS, 6/15/2014]
Body of Egyptian diplomat found three days after she was reported missing in Aden
Assistant to the Egyptian Administrative Attaché, Huda Mohamed al-Ghobari was found dead in her apartment in Aden province on Sunday evening. Signs indicate that al-Ghobari may have been attacked and died as a result of a head injury. Forensics have not determined the cause of death. [Al Masdar (Arabic), 6/16/2014]
Also of Interest: