Egypt Daily Update: Defense Secretary Mattis Meets al-Sisi in Cairo

April 20, 2017

Defense Secretary Mattis Meets al-Sisi in Cairo Egyptian Delegation Attends IMF/WB Meetings in Washington

Cartoon of the Day: Pretrial Detention Top Stories

Defense Secretary Mattis Meets al-Sisi in Cairo

U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo today. Egyptian Defense Minister Sedki Sobhi, U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy Dina Powell, and U.S. Ambassador to Stephen Beecroft also attended. A statement [Ar] released by the Egyptian president’s office reported that the officials discussed enhancing bilateral military cooperation; Secretary Mattis praised Egypt’s pivotal role in the Middle East and the country’s counterterrorism efforts while President al-Sisi emphasized the importance of international efforts to target state sponsors of terrorism.

Mada Masr reported [Ar] that, according to an Egyptian government source prior to the meeting, the officials were to discuss potentially resuming Bright Star—a major military exercise with the United States and Egypt, among other countries, that was frozen by Former President Barack Obama in 2015. “There is a possibility that these exercises will resume next fall—maybe in October, if both parties agree on how to make the most of them. I fully believe that we are moving in this direction,” the source stated [Ar]. Head of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Gen. Joseph L. Votel also discussed resuming Bright Star with President al-Sisi and top Egyptian military and defense officials during a February meeting in Cairo. In comments to Egyptian media, Votel said, “It is my goal to get that exercise back on track and try to re-establish that as another key part of our military relationship.”

Egyptian Delegation Attends IMF/WB Meetings in Washington

An Egyptian delegation is in Washington, DC for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings, which begin tomorrow. Finance Minister Amr El Garhy, Deputy Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk, Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer, and Investment and International Cooperation Minister Sahar Nasr will be attending. Nasr will also present [Ar] Egypt’s economic reform program to President of the World Bank Group Jim Yong Kim and Managing Director of the IMF Christine Lagarde at the G-24 ministerial meeting today. The G-24 meets twice per year alongside the IMF and World Bank’s annual meetings and is composed of Middle Eastern, African, Asian, and Latin American countries. A Ministry statement reported that Nasr’s presentation would focus on “the strong economic reforms carried out by Egypt for economic advancement and the tangible steps taken to provide an attractive investment climate.” The G-24 will also discuss the role of international financial institutions in assisting developing countries manage challenges including commodity price volatility and refugee influxes.

Meanwhile, Africa-based investment management firm Quantum Global released its Africa Investment Index for April 2017 this week, in which it ranks Egypt as the third most attractive investment destination out of the 54 African countries. “Egypt scores well on the growth factor of the size of GDP, demographic factor of population size, liquidity factor of real interest rate and ease of doing business,” the report notes.

Cartoon of the Day: Pretrial Detention

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Sisi Is No Partner for the United States

Meir Walters Foreign Affairs Turkey Approves Sweeping Presidential Powers, U.S. Policymakers Respond

On April 16, amid contested balloting results and street demonstrations by opposition parties and voters, Turkey’s referendum vote came down in favor of expanding presidential powers for President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, granting him sweeping executive powers that rights groups viewed as potential “death knell” for Turkish democracy. Preliminary counts put the vote at 51.3 percent in favor and 48.6 percent opposed.

A last-minute order issued by the country’s Supreme Election Board, dominated by AKP members, allowed ballots without the official stamp to be counted. Turkish opposition parties immediately called for an annulment of the referendum results. Bulent Tezcan, the deputy leader of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), said by accepting unstamped ballots, the electoral body “changed the rules of the game halfway through the match.” CHP deputy Erdal Aksunger suggested that “2.5 million votes are in dispute, and in some areas, such as the predominantly Kurdish southeast, almost half the votes could be challenged.” According to the Los Angeles Times, Aksunger estimated that “1.5 million unstamped envelopes and voting papers were given to voters, and there were also many incidents in which envelopes and voting papers were stamped after the ballots were opened.”The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which monitored the polls,said the referendum took place on “an unlevel playing field” and decried some of the rhetoric equating a “No” vote with supporting terrorism.

A day after the referendum, President Erdogan told the OSCE monitoring body to “know your place,” rejecting its criticism and declared that Turkey did not “see, hear, or acknowledge the politically motivated reports” of the monitors. Human Rights Watch said, “In the days ahead the president and government should end the state of emergency and commit to upholding the human rights of all in Turkey regardless of political outlook.” The government extended the state of emergency for an additional three months on Monday.

The constitutional changes include the abolition of the prime minister post and transfer executive power to the president; permitting the president to issue decrees and appoint numerous officials; granting the president the ability to order disciplinary inquiries into civil servants, among others. Erdogan also flagged the potential for a referendum on Turkey’s continued effort to join the European Union, drawing concern from European leaders. Analyst Steven Cook wrote after the vote, “The Turkish Republic has always been flawed, but it always contained the aspiration that — against the backdrop of the principles to which successive constitutions claimed fidelity — it could become a democracy. Erdogan’s new Turkey closes off that prospect.”

Ahead of the vote, POMED published a new report by Nonresident Senior Fellow Howard Eissenstat, “Erdoğan As Autocrat: A Very Turkish Tragedy.” Eissenstat warned, “One of the core arguments that President Erdoğan has offered for expanding his power through constitutional reforms is that further centralization of authority will increase stability. Yet the experience of the past ten years has demonstrated that the opposite is true. Without reestablishing rule of law and the independence of state institutions, without creating opportunities for those out of power to participate in their own political futures, the instability that has rocked the country over the past five years likely will intensify. The tragedy of Turkey’s failure is immense.”

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump called Erdogan to congratulate him on the referendum outcome. Trump has praised Erdogan in the past, notably on how he controversially dealt with the coup attempt in 2016. The U.S. State Department urged Erdogan “to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all its citizens — regardless of their vote on April 16.”

In stark contrast to Trump’s praise and the State Department’s wariness, congressional voices criticized the handling of the referendum. Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) on April 18 said: “Turkey’s creeping authoritarianism continues. All who value democracy, pluralism and Turkey’s key role in the region should be concerned about the elimination of important checks and balances in the Turkish system. Many Turks are concerned.” Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Turkey “a very vibrant democracy, and…one of our NATO allies,” but expressed “hope that the Erdogan government will have a complete investigation” on reported referendum violations. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) said, “The manner in which Turkey’s constitutional referendum was conducted… was disappointing… international observers have made clear that the referendum was conducted in a fundamentally unfair political environment that strongly favored one side.” He urged Erdogan to “recognize the need to pursue a balanced agenda that protects fundamental rights, and ensure voices of all Turkish citizens are represented in his government.” Egypt Daily Update: Parliament Considers Reducing Pretrial Custody Period

April 19, 2017

Parliament Considers Reducing Pretrial Custody Period

ISIS Militants Attack Checkpoint in South Sinai

Cartoon of the Day: High Price of Chicken Top Stories

Parliament Considers Reducing Pretrial Custody Period

Following the acquittal of Egyptian-American Aya Hijazi and a number of co-defendants, who were held in pretrial detention for nearly three years, the Egyptian Parliament is considering [Ar] reducing the maximum pretrial detention period from two years to six months. The Parliamentary Human Rights Committee’s Deputy Chair Ali Badr told Al-Shorouk that 60 percent of those currently imprisoned in Egypt have not been convicted, so they should not be forced to remain in prison for an extended period if they may eventually be acquitted. Badr proposed a number of alternatives to the extended pretrial detention system, including travel bans, monitoring bracelets, or daily police check-ins. According to Badr, reforming this system will save the government millions of pounds. “The case of Aya Hijazi harmed Egypt’s global reputation. We must restore this reputation by amending this very bad law,” the Deputy Chair stated.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) also called for reforms to the pretrial detention system earlier this week, claiming that extending this period indefinitely violates both international law and the Egyptian Constitution. In other news, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley pushed for discussions of the link between human rights abuses and conflict to become a permanent fixture of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meetings on Tuesday, but was rebuffed by a number of UNSC members, including Egypt. According to Reuters, the opposing countries argued that these discussions should be limited to the UN’s Human Rights Council, while the Egyptian representative “voiced concern that some countries used human rights as a ‘back door’ to undermine state sovereignty, citing and as examples.” The measure was not put to a vote.

ISIS Militants Attack Checkpoint in South Sinai

On Tuesday, Islamic State-affiliated militants killed one policeman and injured four others at the Saint Catherine’s security checkpoint in South Sinai. An Interior Ministry statement [Ar] reported that the militants opened fire on the checkpoint and the police forces exchanged fire. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement; the group was also responsible for the two Palm Sunday church bombings in Egypt earlier this month. According to The New York Times’ Declan Walsh, “The assault was a relatively rare instance of violence in the southern part of the province” though it was “comparatively small by the standards of the Sinai insurgency.” The checkpoint is located near the Saint Catherine Monastery, one of the oldest functioning Christian monasteries in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a major tourist attraction.

A few hours prior to the attack, Israel’s Counterterrorism Bureau announced that the Taba border crossing between Israel and Egypt would remain closed. The border closure was first implemented last week following the Palm Sunday church bombings and a warning of another “imminent” act of terror in Egypt. The decision may be reexamined in the coming days depending on future security developments.

Cartoon of the Day: High Price of Chicken

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Raising the Stakes: Egyptians Have Questions about a New Emergency Law and the State of Security

Mirette F. Mabrouk MENASource Leaked Recording Reveals Alleged Media Campaign against Anti-Corruption NGO

Top Stories

Leaked Recording Reveals Alleged Media Campaign against Anti-Corruption NGO

IMF Disburses Second Tranche of Loan

Agreements with Tataouine and Kef Protestors Remain Elusive

Foreign Affairs

Parliamentary Blocs File Motion to Normalize Relations with : On April 12, the heads of Al-Horra, the , the Free Patriotic Union, and Afek Tounes parliamentary blocs signed a motion to begin the process of normalizing relations with Syria. The motion was proposed by members of Parliament who had visited Syria in March and met with high-level Syrian officials, including President Bashar al-Assad. On April 4, President met with the group and emphasized the deep ties binding the Tunisian and Syrian people, adding that there were no major impediments to the reestablishment of relations as soon as the situation there is improved and stability is restored. In 2012, then-President Moncef Marzouki severed diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime, citing the government’s responsibility for growing civilian casualties in the civil war.

IMF Disburses Second Tranche of Loan: On April 17, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that it has agreed to disburse a $308 million tranche of a $2.9 billion loan that had been delayed since December. “The government has made encouraging progress in implementing reforms that had been delayed in order to address structural barriers that weigh on the Tunisian economy,” the statement read. IMF Mission Chief to Bjorn Rother added, however, that the IMF has decided to wait until a later date to disburse the third and final tranche. Rother launched the 11-day in-country review of Tunisia’s economic reforms on April 7. Finance Minister Lamia Zribi told Reuters on February 27 that the IMF had postponed disbursal of a $350 million tranche, originally scheduled for delivery in December 2016, due to a “lack of progress in reforms, including those regarding public sector wages, public finances and state banks.” The delegation will likely present the results of the review to the IMF Board of Directors at the end of May.Meanwhile, presidential advisor Ridha Saidi announced on April 17 that Prime MinisterYoussef Chahed will make an official visit to Washington soon to meet with top members of the Trump administration and the IMF.

In related news, Finance Minister Zribi announced [Fr] on April 18 that is refinancing a $500 million loan, converting $500 million in Tunisian debt, and awarding $250 million for public projects, amounting to $1 billion in financing per the pledges it made at last November’s Tunisia 2020 investment conference.

Domestic News Leaked Recording Reveals Alleged Media Campaign against Anti-Corruption NGO: On April 16, a leaked recording of Nabil Karoui, the head of the private media outlet Nessma, went viral online in Tunisia. In the recording, Karoui called for a defamatory media campaign against the anti- corruption organization I Watch and its members. During an April 18 press conference, I Watch Executive Director Mouhab Garoui announced that the Ministry of Justice ordered the public prosecutor to open an investigation into the leaked recording. He added that I Watch is scheduled to give its testimony on Friday, and that a defamation campaign led by Nessma journalists against dates back to July 2016 after the organization published an investigation that implicated Karoui and his brother in corruption and money laundering schemes.

On April 18, Transparency International, I Watch’s international partner organization,denounced in a press release “the threats made against its partner” and called on the authorities to investigate the smear campaign. “These threats to intimidate I Watch and those associated with it are sickening and must be investigated fully. We fully support the work of I Watch in Tunisia. It has investigated and exposed corruption and is working with the authorities to introduce the kind of legal framework that will stop the corrupt. Its members are courageous and dedicated,” the press release added. On April 18 a Tunisia General Labor Union (UGTT) press release called for the opening of an investigation into Nessma and Nabil Karoui, but also into all audiovisual outlets to determine their sources of funding and their stakeholders to prevent the politicization and the corruption of the media.

Agreements with Tataouine and Kef Protestors Remain Elusive: On April 14, Tataouine protesters released [Fr] a list of demands, asking that four thousand jobs be created for the unemployed in the region and that 20 percent of the region’s oil revenues go toward development. Protesters reportedly have given the government until April 21 to address these “urgent demands.” Protests have been ongoing in the oil-rich region of Tataouine since the end of March as local oil extraction and production plants have failed to employ residents indigenous to the area, with hiring preferences often going toward foreign workers with more technical expertise. Young job seekers have blocked major roads and burned tires.

Meanwhile, workers in a German car cable factory in Kef refused an invitation to meet with a government delegation ahead of a scheduled regional strike. Secretary General of the Kef Regional Workers’ Union (URT) Taoufik Chebbi has stated that an April 20 regional strike will go ahead as planned and that the union supports the employees in their fight. The German car cable company has reportedly begun [Fr] to transfer equipment from the Kef factory to one in Hammamet, hinting at the possible permanent closure of the Kef factory.

On April 18, Mosaique FM reported that authorities used tear gas to disperse a year-long sit-in in front of the Gafsa regional government offices. Some of the sit-in participants attempted to enter the building while others were transported to the hospital after at least five protesters attempted group suicide. On April 19 a separate group of young unemployed demonstrators blocked the highway between Gafsa and Sfax with burning tires to protest the unfulfilled and vague development promises of the government.

Law Students Continue to Protest Police Use of Force: Tunisian security forces’ reported [Fr] use of force against peacefully protesting law school students provoked backlash and demands for investigation. On April 11, law school students organized [Fr] a demonstration against governmental decree number 345, which they have been vocallydisputing [Fr] since mid-March. The decree creates a mandatory test after graduation from law school in order to join the High Institute of the Judiciary. Popular Front (FP) Deputy Jilani Hammami called for an investigation into the security personnel’s use of force against the protestors. Ministry of Interior spokesman Yasser Mosbah denied [Fr] rumors that a law student was killed during the dispersal of the demonstration. On April 12, the National Bar Association of Tunisia denounced the security forces’ treatment of the protestors. The Bar Council expressed its deep concern over a “clear regression” of freedom of expression and peaceful protest. It further called for an investigation into the attacks on students and for prosecution of the attackers, blaming the Interior Ministry for “police violence aiming to suppress peaceful protests.”

The Interior Ministry stated on April 14 that reports of police violence against protesting law students are “unfounded.” Its press release says that six students fainted and were taken to hospitals and a policeman sustained injuries, but that students were allowed to continue their protests peacefully.

Chahed Responds to Growing Social Unrest: During a televised April 17 interview, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed affirmed the National Unity Government’s dedication to solving the country’s economic and social problems through regional development programs. He noted that “everyone has the right to oppose the government, but not to act against the state.” Additionally, he announced that the number of tourists visiting Tunisia is expected to reach 6.5 million by the end of 2017 and that the production rate of phosphates is improving. The Prime Minister is also due to visit seven interior regions over the next few weeks in response to regional protests, beginning with Sfax on April 20, followed by Tataouine.

Civil Society, Parliamentarians, and the INLUCC Launch Anti-Corruption Initiatives: On April 12, members of Parliament and the I Watch anti-corruption organization launched their “MPs against Corruption” initiative. The initiative aims to “strengthen anti-corruption efforts at the legislative, political, and media levels.” It is part of “cooperation between civil society and Parliament in the fight against corruption,” said the representatives of I Watch. Meanwhile, on April 19, 28 civil society associations signed an anti-corruption pact with the National Anti-Corruption Body (INLUCC), launching a civil society alliance against corruption committed to supporting the efforts of the INLUCC and other stakeholders by proposing draft legislation and participating in the execution and evaluation of anti-corruption programs.

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West Point Combating Terrorism Center Aaron Y. Zelin

Egypt Daily Update: Defense Secretary Mattis to Visit Egypt on Thursday

April 18, 2017

Defense Secretary Mattis to Visit Egypt on Thursday

NGO Calls for Remand Custody Reform Following Hijazi Verdict State Council Rejects Judicial Authority Amendments

Cartoon of the Day: Fighting Terrorism Top Stories

Defense Secretary Mattis to Visit Egypt on Thursday

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will visit Egypt on Thursday as part of a trip to the Middle East and Africa that also includes stops in , Israel, Qatar, and . According to the Defense Department, Mattis “will reaffirm key U.S. military alliances, engage with strategic partners in the Middle East and Africa, and discuss cooperative efforts to counter destabilizing activities and defeat extremist terror organizations.” In Egypt, the Secretary will “discuss regional security issues and participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Unknown Soldier Memorial in honor of fallen Egyptian soldiers.” The visit comes just weeks after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to Washington to meet with President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials.

NGO Calls for Detention Reform Following Hijazi Verdict

Following the acquittal of Aya Hijazi, Mohamed Hassanein, and six other defendants of the Belady Foundation on Sunday, the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) issued a statement arguing that the unlimited extension of the defendants’ pre-trial detention period violated both international law and the Egyptian Constitution. EOHR President Hafez Abu Seada stated that “the Constitution stipulates compensation for all those whose personal freedom has been assaulted.” EOHR urged the Egyptian government to reform its remand custody system in a way that conforms to the Constitution, protects human rights, and acknowledges that a suspect is innocent until proven guilty.In other news, several Egyptian Parliamentarians introduced a bill imposing a monthly subscription fee on Egyptian Facebook users in order to assist the government in surveilling the site for terrorism-related content or posts that damage Egypt’s reputation. Local media reported that this fee could be as high as EGP 200 per month, but MP Ryad Abdel Sattar—a proponent of the bill—told Egypt Independent that the cost would be EGP 5 per month. Abdel Sattar stated that “the purpose behind the suggested subscription is to put all users under government surveillance so it can effectively restrict any attempt by Egypt’s enemies to use social media as a means to broadcast rumors and incite [people] against Egypt’s army and police forces.” It is unclear how the fee would be imposed on the free social media site. Discussion of this bill comes in the wake of the state of emergency imposed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and ratified by the Egyptian Parliament last week, which includes the monitoring of all forms of communication.

State Council Rejects Judicial Authority Amendments

The legislative department of Egypt’s State Council formally presented a report to Parliament last weekend outlining its objection to a bill amending the judicial authority law. The bill, which was approved by Parliament’s Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee last month, would allow the president to appoint judiciary council heads from the three vice-chairs nominated by each judicial council. The law would apply to the state lawsuits authority, administrative prosecution, the Court of Cassation, and the State Council.

According to a judicial source, the State Council’s legislative department argued in its report that the bill would undermine the judiciary’s constitutionally-guaranteed independence. The report explicitly mentions Article 185 of the Egyptian Constitution, which states that “each judicial body or organization shall be consulted with regards to the bills regulating its affairs.” Egypt’s Judges Club also condemned the bill soon after it was approved by the parliamentary committee and has requested a meeting with President al-Sisi to discuss the amendments.

Cartoon of the Day: Fighting Terrorism

Left building: “Interior Ministry” Right building: “Education Ministry” Man 1: “The path to fighting terrorism starts here” *referring to Interior Ministry* Man 2: “Really? The path is here” *referring to Education Ministry*Rahab Munaim and Amr Abdel Ati El-Fagr – 04/12/2017 Also Worth Reading

A Rights Lawyer: the Latest Target of Egypt’s Terrorism Law in the Wake of the Palm Sunday Bombings

Mai El-Sadany The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy Egypt Daily Update: Detained Egyptian- American Aya Hijazi Acquitted

April 17, 2017

Detained Egyptian-American Aya Hijazi Acquitted

Clashes Erupt in Sinai between ISIS Militants and Local Tribes

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Detained Egyptian-American Aya Hijazi Acquitted

This weekend, a Cairo Criminal Court acquitted Egyptian-American Aya Hijazi, her husbandMohamed Hassanein, and six other defendants of the Belady Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by Hijazi and Hassanein to aid street children. They were arrested in May 2014 for allegedly abusing children and inciting them to participate in demonstrations; human rights groups and many senior U.S. officials considered these charges fabricated. The Washington Post reported that “as Judge Mohamed el-Feqqi read his verdict aloud, the courtroom erupted. Dressed in white prison uniforms, Hijazi and her husband … embraced inside the defendants’ cage as friends and family cried, cheered and chanted for joy.” Taher Abol Nasr, Hijazi’s attorney, told the Post that the court did not have sufficient evidence to convict the defendants. “Even the child [they were accused of kidnapping] and his mother testified at court in defense of Aya and the others,” Abol Nasr explained.

Many of the American politicians who previously spoke out in favor of Hijazi’s release publicly praised her acquittal. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who delivered a floor speech in the Senate and co- signed a letter to President Donald Trump regarding Hijazi’s case earlier this month, wrote on Twitter that he was “very happy” about Hijazi’s acquittal. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who met with Hijazi’s family in September 2016, issued a press release, stating, “This wonderful news was a long time coming. … I feel a deep sense of joy and relief for Aya, her husband, their colleagues at Belady who were imprisoned, Aya’s mother Naglaa, and her sister Alaa and brother Basel. I offer my humble thanks and congratulations today to them and to her many friends who worked so hard to raise the profile of this case and pressure the Egyptian government to gain her freedom.”

Human Rights Watch’s Joe Stork stated after Hijazi’s verdict that “[they] are finally free, but the system that subjected them to a travesty of justice for nearly three years remains unchanged.” This case was just one example of the Egyptian government’s ongoing crackdown against civil society organizations.

Clashes Erupt in Sinai between ISIS Militants and Local Tribes

Egyptian security officials reported on Monday that clashes between Islamic State-affiliated militants and local tribes in the Sinai Peninsula resulted in three people injured. The conflict began when militants shot at a truck that was smuggling cigarettes into the area—the Islamic State’s strict version of Islamic law prohibits the sale of tobacco, according to tribal sources. The Associated Press argued that “the incident marks an escalation in tension between the two sides over the imposition of Islamic Law.”

Cartoon of the Day: Stock Market

“Truly doctor, the bleeding has lasted for six years, but it’s gotten even worse lately.” Mohamed Anwar Al-Masry Al-Youm – 04/16/2017

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Egypt Daily Update: Interior Ministry Identifies Church Bombers

April 14, 2017 Interior Ministry Identifies Church Bombers

Egypt Provides UNSC with Information on State Sponsors of Terrorism

Cartoon of the Day: Facebook Expert Top Stories

Interior Ministry Identifies Church Bombers

On Wednesday, an Interior Ministry statement [Ar] identified the perpetrator of the Alexandria church bombing as Mahmoud Hassan Mubarak; authorities came to this conclusion by examining forensic evidence and CCTV footage from the church. Hassan Mubarak “was a resident in al-Salam suburb in Suez governorate. He worked for a petroleum company and previously had a warrant out for his arrest in 2016,” the statement reported. The perpetrator was part of an Islamic State- affiliated group, founded by known fugitive Amr Saad, that specifically targets state infrastructure and churches.

Thursday evening, the Interior Ministry confirmed the identity of the Tanta bomber as Mamdouh Amin Mohamed al-Baghdady. The suspect, born in Qena governorate, is also a member of a terrorist cell founded by Saad and previously participated in an attack on a checkpoint in New Valley governorate. According to a Ministry statement [Ar], three other terrorist cell members were also arrested.

Meanwhile, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Coptic Pope Tawadros II on Thursdayat the Saint Mark’s Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo. President al-Sisi told Pope Tawadros II that Egypt is committed to fighting terrorism and assured him that the perpetrators of the PalmSunday church bombings would be brought to justice. The President also stressed that the extremists’ goals are to foster divisions within Egyptian society and undermine the nation’s development. The Coptic Pope asserted that the terrorists would not succeed in dividing the country, stressing the need for harmony and love among Egyptians.

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Bishop Macarius, head of the Coptic diocese in Minya, said he was skeptical that the state of emergency imposed earlier this week would protect Egypt’s Coptic community. “Security solutions never [succeed] alone. No state in the world should be a police state, either here or elsewhere. Emergency all the time makes people nervous,” the Bishop explained. However, he advocated for increased monitoring of social media—one of the key components of the emergency law. He also suggested that President al-Sisi hire advisors who can better inform him of the religious, cultural, and security dimensions of the current terrorism situation. “We can consider ourselves in a wave of persecution,” the Bishop asserted. By contrast, Egypt-born Bishop Angaelos, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom, said to NPR, when asked whether new measures grant the government too much power, “Please don’t confuse issues, we’re still burying our dead… [do not] turn this into a political argument. My biggest concern is that there is an immediate desire to politisize everything that happens, and so Christians really just become collateral damage.”

Egypt Provides UNSC with Information on State Sponsors of Terrorism On Wednesday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told MPs that Egypt provided the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with information about countries that fund and support terrorist activities. Shoukry emphasized that “most information on the most active terrorist organisations in the world right now, like [the Islamic State], show that they are Muslim Brotherhood offshoots. All of these terrorist organisations were formed on the basis of the Muslim Brotherhood’s jihadist and Takfiri ideological foundations, not to mention that most of its senior leaders were originally members of the Brotherhood.” After last weekend’s church bombings, Turkey and Qatar were two countries named by many Egyptian MPs as sponsors of terrorism in Egypt, Ahram Online reported.

Cartoon of the Day: Facebook Expert

Couch: “Facebook expert” Man: “I don’t care, Egypt is waging a war and we’re all being conspired against… all I know is there was a security failure and the government is inept and someone has to resign and that is that.”Ahmed Kaoud Youm7 – 04/10/2017 Also Worth Reading

Egypt is in a State of Emergency. Here’s What that Means for its Government

Nathan J. Brown The Washington Post A Quick Look at Egypt’s New State of Emergency Measures

In the wake of the April 9 Palm Sunday bombings in Tanta and Alexandria, the Egyptian government responded with a number of legal measures aimed at strengthening the country’s ability to fight terrorism.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared a three-month nationwide state of emergency, which was unanimously approved by Parliament two days later. This is the first time a nationwide state of emergency has been imposed since Egypt adopted a new constitution in 2014. After a state of emergency has been in effect for three months, it can only be extended by two-thirds parliamentary approval.

The House of Representatives later voted in favor of an amendment to the emergency law that, according to the Head of Parliament’s Defense and National Security Committee Kamal Amer, “allows state authorities to detain anyone suspected of terrorist activity for seven days after getting the prosecution’s approval” and “authorizes Emergency High State Security courts to order the detention of highly dangerous elements for one month in jail, which is subject to renewal.”

Mada Masr explained that the amendment is similar to a provision in the 1958 Emergency Law which was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Constitutional Court in 2013 because it violates due process rights. Though the amendment would allow public prosecutors to intervene in cases of temporary detention, “it still fails to enshrine the right of a detainee to appear before a prosecutor or judge to challenge the legality of detention,” according to Mada Masr.

One of the most significant provisions of the emergency law is that it grants state officials the authority to monitor and intercept all forms of communication, including social media. According to Speaker of Parliament Ali Abdel Aal, social media sites including Facebook and Youtube will be monitored [Ar] under the terms of the state of emergency because they are websites that can work “against the interest of the country.” He told Ahram Online that he is aware that terrorist organizations use social media to plan future attacks.

Declaring a state of emergency gives authorities a number of additional powers, including the ability to:

Refer civilians to State Security Emergency Courts, where they are unable to appeal verdicts. The president will retain the authority to amend, annul, suspend, or order a retrial in any emergency court case. Search homes without warrants Further restrict freedom of movement and assembly Censor and confiscate publications Shut down commercial establishments Sequester private property Designate certain areas for evacuation

The Supreme Council to Combat Terrorism and Extremism

Additionally, President al-Sisi formed the Supreme Council to Combat Terrorism and Extremism on April 11. In a statement [Ar], presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef reported that the council is tasked with “[formulating] a comprehensive national strategy to confront terrorism and extremism in all aspects and [issuing] the necessary decisions and measures to implement them.” This will include combating extremist ideology by “[rectifying] misconceptions exploited by terrorist organisations to attract new recruits.” According to Enterprise, the Council will also “[have] the authority to issue binding decisions on specific measures in connection with the state’s counterterrorism efforts.” The spokesman claimed that the Council will be part of a new framework to increase coordination among state agencies in order to effectively establish security and stability.

Enacting the Media Law

The same day, President al-Sisi issued a decree forming three new media regulatory bodies, enacting the Media Act approved by parliament in December 2016. The most significant of these bodies is the Supreme Media Council, which has the authority to ban foreign news and news deemed “inflammatory” for national security purposes. The Council will, according to Enterprise, “effectively govern all media activity in Egypt, whether online or print, public or private.” Former Press Syndicate Chairman Makram Mohamed Ahmed will head the Council. The two other bodies formed include the National Press Authority, which will manage all state-owned print outlets, and the National Media Authority to manage state-owned broadcast media in place of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union.

Following the formation of these new bodies, the Interior Ministry issued a statement [Ar] warning news outlets that it may begin cracking down on publications that spread false news. The statement explicitly singles out Al-Wafd, Al-Masreyoun, Al-Bawaba, and Al-Masry Al-Youm for allegedly publishing false reports last year. The Ministry called for news outlets to be responsible and check the accuracy of their stories before publishing them.

The impact was felt immediately. On April 10 and 11, authorities prevented the print edition of the privately-owned newspaper Al-Bawaba from being printed following the newspaper’s blaming of the church bombings on a “security lapse,” singling out Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar. In an official statement, Al-Bawaba “[condemned] this blatant attack on the freedom of opinion and expression, which is guaranteed by the Constitution and the law.” Amending the Code of Criminal Procedure

On April 10, Parliament voted [Ar] to preliminarily approve the Bill to Amend the Code of Criminal Procedure. The bill includes amendments [Ar] to four laws: the law of criminal procedures; law No. 57 of 1959 related to appealing cases before the Court of Cassation; law No. 8 of 2015 regarding the organization of terrorist lists; and the anti-terrorism law No. 94 of 2015. Bill sponsor MP Salah Hasballah, a member of the majority pro-Sisi Egypt Support Coalition, told Al-Monitor that “the legal amendment bill aims at expediting prosecution procedures, especially in terrorism cases.” The changes would also allow Egypt’s public prosecutor “to examine the calls for adding certain groups to the terrorist lists, after the submission of evidentiary documents.”

Law to Protect Public Facilities

Parliament’s Egypt Support Coalition, led by Hasballah, is also working on legislation to protect public facilities and places of worship. The bill calls [Ar] for the installation of surveillance cameras near public, commercial, and administrative buildings and places of worship and sanctions on those who refuse.

As Human Rights Watch points out, “in practice, Egyptian authorities have exercised de facto emergency powers since the military removed President [Mohamed Morsi]. The government has effectively banned opposition protests, and police and Interior Ministry National Security officers have arbitrarily arrested thousands of suspects, used torture routinely to elicit confessions, and forcibly disappeared hundreds for months at a time.” The extent to which these additional measures will further impact civil society, human rights, and democracy in Egypt remains to be seen.

Egypt Daily Update: Interior Ministry Threatens Fake News Crackdown

April 13, 2017 Interior Ministry Threatens Fake News Crackdown

Minister Discusses Foreign Investment with World Bank

Cartoon of the Day: War on Terror Top Stories

Interior Ministry Threatens Fake News Crackdown

Following Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s declaration on Tuesday that three new media regulatory bodies would be formed in order to govern both public and private media outlets, the Interior Ministry issued a statement [Ar] on Facebook yesterday warning news outlets that it may begin cracking down on publications that spread false news. The statement explicitly singles out Al- Wafd, Al-Masreyoun, Al-Bawaba, and Al-Masry Al-Youm for allegedly publishing false reports about a bomb threat in October 2016 and an additional explosive found and defused this past Sunday—the same day of the two Palm Sunday Mass church bombings. The Ministry called for news outlets to be responsible and check the accuracy of their stories before publishing them.

In other news, an Egyptian criminal court sentenced Alexandria-based human rights lawyer Mohamed Ramadan to ten years in prison and five years of house arrest in absentia for “[destabilizing] the general order” and “[harming] national unity and social peace” through Facebook. The court also banned Ramadan from using social media. After the verdict, Ramadan condemned the decision on Facebook, claiming that it was issued by “the judiciary of the counter- revolution.”

A military court also sentenced 70 supporters of former president Mohamed Morsi this week; 65 were given life prison sentences while five were sentenced to 15 years in prison. All were convicted of committing violence—including attacking military and government facilities and storming churches and schools—in Minya governorate shortly after Morsi was ousted from the presidency in 2013. The convicts will be able to appeal their verdict before a military prosecution.

Minister Discusses Foreign Investment with World Bank

Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr met with a World Bank delegation visiting Egypt yesterday “to identify the procedures of improving the business environment in Egypt,” a Ministry statement reported. The delegation is visiting Egypt to conduct research for the Egypt section of the World Bank’s annual “Doing Business” report. Nasr explained the economic reforms Egypt is currently undertaking to improve standards of living for citizens, increase economic growth, and improve Egypt’s “Doing Business” ranking. The Minister also praised the World Bank’s support for Egypt’s development projects. The delegation informed the Minister of the outcomes of its visit to Egypt and the steps it recommends Egypt undertake in order to improve its ranking, while commending the reforms it has already initiated. The recommendations pertain to facilitating and easing the process for obtaining construction permits, accessing electricity, registering property, accessing credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, and enforcing contracts. Nasr informed the delegation that all ministries will work in coordination to achieve these goals. Nasr also met with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’s Head of the Middle East and Africa Division Carlos Conde yesterday. They discussed enhancing the investment climate in Egypt; a Ministry statement reported that “the Minister emphasized that [the Ministry] worked on identifying investment opportunities in coordination with various ministries and governors to include them in the investment map.” Separately, Minister of Industry and Trade Tarek Kabil met with Conde and discussed enhancing cooperation to benefit Egypt’s small and medium enterprises and developing industrial zones to encourage foreign investment.

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Brain: “Wait, take me with you!”

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Editorial Board The Washington Post POMED Fellow Eissenstat on Upcoming Referendum’s Meaning for Turkey’s Beleaguered Democracy

Ahead of Turkey’s referendum to expand presidential powers, POMED Senior Nonresident Fellow Howard Eissenstat wrote in The Hill on April 12, “A yes vote in the referendum would cement the rule of Turkey’s charismatic and pugnacious president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, allowing him unprecedented new powers. The stakes could hardly be higher, but the campaign has not been a free or fair one.”

He concludes, “A victory for the yes campaign could well be a death blow for Turkey’s beleaguered democracy. But the campaign over the referendum already shows how damaged that democratic tradition has become. The vote will be anything but free and fair.”

The full article is available here.