Egypt Daily Update: Government Meeting with Political Parties Proves Inconclusive; April 6 Movement Holds Anniversary Press Conference Like on Facebook Top Stories Follow on Twitter Wednesday, April 8, 2015 Sign up for the Egypt • Government Meeting with Political Parties Proves Inconclusive Daily Update. • April 6 Movement Holds Anniversary Press Conference • Brotherhood Blamed for Journalist’s Death • Prosecution Charges Police Officers with Killing Detainee Government Meeting with Political Parties Proves Inconclusive The leaders of 15 political parties met with Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb on Tuesday, continuing a series of discussions regarding potential amendments to electoral laws. The main focus of Tuesday’s meeting, according to Al- Ahram, was a disagreement over the number of electoral party lists to be allowed in the future parliamentary elections. Eleven political parties supported the idea of dividing four current party lists into eight, with 15 candidates per list. Others advocated against amending the electoral program “for fear of delaying the entire electoral process.” During the meeting, Mehleb said that the Egyptian government “does not have any particular affiliations” and that its main New POMED goal is “to continue following the steps of the political road-map,” to “form a parliament that truly represents the Publication: Egyptian people,” and to “protect the integrity of the elections.” He added, “all that is left is a parliament to combine will with vision, and to begin building a modern state,” Mada Masr reported. Several political parties chose not to participate in Tuesday’s meeting. Mohamed Samy, leader of the Karama Party, announced Tuesday morning that he would not be in attendance because Karama only received the invitation a few hours prior to the scheduled time, indicating “the government’s underestimation of the importance of my party.” Samy added that “our presence would not have been effective either, so long as the government doesn’t care about studying parties’ suggestions regarding the electoral laws,” al-Shorouk reported. Both the Socialist Popular Alliance Party and the Dostour Party also received delayed invitations but chose to attend the meeting “to avoid accusations that the party is boycotting the political process.” The Democratic Current Party expressed discontent after the meeting with “the government’s discrimination in the treatment of parties based on whether they support or oppose state policies.” A Under Threat: Egypt’s consensus on potential amendments was not reached during Tuesday’s meeting, and another session was scheduled for Systematic Campaign Thursday. against NGOs back to top Also of Interest: “Second Meeting between Mehleb, Political Parties on Electoral Amendments Inconclusive” Mada Masr (English) 4/7/15 “Tomorrow…Last Chance for Dialogue between Parties and Government” al-Shorouk (Arabic) 4/8/15 “Mehleb: The Government is Completely Serious in its Priority to Amend Unconstitutional Articles” al-Ahram (Arabic) 4/8/15 In Egypt, Ex-Military Men Fire Up Islamist April 6 Movement Holds Anniversary Press Conference in Desert Insurgency The April 6 youth movement held a conference on Monday in the Egyptian desert after they were refused by “all” potential venues, one of the movement’s leaders told Aswat Masriya. In the desert outside of the Giza governorate’s 6 October neighborhood, April 6 democratic front leader Sherif al-Roubi declared that “no one can stop” the voice of youth activists. Al-Roubi called for the annulment of Egypt’s high controversial anti-protest law and the release of 22 members of the April 6 movement from prison, where they are currently detained on “fabricated charges.” The conference marked the seventh anniversary of the April 6 movement’s founding, which coincided with workers’ strikes in Mahalla city in the Nile Delta. back to top “6 April Movement Hold Anniversary Conference in the Desert” Daily News Egypt (English) 4/8/15 “April 6: After the Cancelation of the Establishment Anniversary Conference, We Will Hold Another in Half an Hour” al- Shorouk (Arabic) 4/6/15 Muslim Brotherhood Blamed for Journalist’s Death An investigation into the death of Mayada Ashraf, a journalist for the privately-owned Al-Dostour newspaper, by Egypt’s Prosecutor General concluded the Muslim Brotherhood was responsible for Ashraf’s death during clashes between police forces and supporters of the Brotherhood last year. The 23-year-old journalist was among five killed during demonstrations on March 28, 2014. Forensics official Hesham Abdel Hamid told Mada Masr that Ashraf was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. State-owned news agency MENA released details of the prosecutor’s investigation, which implicates 48 defendants in Ashraf’s death, most of whom have since “confessed” to being members of “armed groups” loyal to the Muslim Brotherhood tasked with attacking police forces during demonstrations. The prosecutor has referred the 48 defendants to the Cairo Criminal Court, on additional charges of joining a “terrorist” organization, attempting murder, possession of illegal weapons, and vandalism. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat referred 379 defendants to criminal court on charges of associating with the Muslim Brotherhood and participating in the “armed” occupation of Nahda Square in Giza in June 2013. The encampment was erected to demonstrate support for ousted president Mohamed Morsi. Barakat’s office released a statement accusing the defendants of organizing armed demonstrations and attacks on different neighborhoods in Giza. “Civilian and police” were victims of the Nahda encampment attacks, Barakat’s statement explained. According to the statement, 187 of the 379 defendants have already confessed to fostering alliances with the Muslim Brotherhood, and another 488 defendants have been dismissed from the case for lack of evidence against them. back to top “Egypt’s Top Prosecutor Refers 379 to Criminal Court for Partaking in Nahda Encampment” Aswat Masriya (English) 4/8/15 “Prosecutor Blames Muslim Brotherhood for Dostour Journalist’s Death” Mada Masr (English) 4/8/15 “379 Ikhwan Referred for Criminal Events at ‘Nahda Camp’” Youm7 (Arabic) 4/8/15 Prosecutor Charges Police Officers with Killing Detainee Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hesham Barakat referred two state security officers to criminal court on charges of torturing a civil rights lawyer to death while in custody. A statement from Barakat’s office said that, after collecting sufficient evidence against them, the two officers were charged with “torturing to death” Kareem Hamdy. The prosecution’s report on the incident accused the officers of torturing Hamdy during an interrogation to force him to confess to crimes of illegal arms possession and association with a terrorist organization. Barakat’s office originally ordered the detention of the police officers in late February, but they were released on bail of 10,000 EGP last week. back to top “Police Officers Accused of Torturing Lawyer to Death Referred to Court” Aswat Masriya (English) 4/8/15 .