October 2014

BY

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Wed, 31 Dec 2014 - 12:46 GMT

BY

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 - 12:46 GMT

2 Judge Said Youssef, who handed down death sentences to 529 pro-Mursi protesters in March, is removed from his position in the Cairo Criminal Court. 5 ABM releases a video that allegedly shows militants beheading three Egyptians they accuse of being informants for Israeli intelligence. The video sparks concern over the group’s use of tactics similar to that of DAISH, which has released several videos of beheadings in recent months. 10 Army Spokesperson Mohamed Samir announces that Shehata Farhan, a top leader in the Sinai-based militant Islamist group ABM, has been killed in a raid near Rafah on the border with Gaza. The Armed Forces also killed a field commander of the Islamist militant group, Mohamed Abu Shatiya, during clashes south of Rafah in the previous week. 13 Thirty people die and 15 are injured when three microbuses collide on the Nile’s West Bank near Aswan. The minibuses, one was carrying a group of fishermen, were believed to have been speeding on the desert highway near the historic town of Edfu. 14 After 16 years of renovations, the Hanging Church, located in Mar Girgis, officially reopens to the public. Standing since 307 AD, the Hanging Church is considered one of the oldest churches in the world. Mahlab, Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria and a host of ministers, ambassadors and public figures attend the event. The restoration process, carried out by a team of Egyptian and Russian experts, cost LE 101 million. 15 The Carter Center, which has monitored elections in Egypt since the January 25 Revolution, announces it will close its Cairo office and stop monitoring elections due to Egypt’s deeply polarized political environment and restrictive policies. 16 The Supreme State Security Prosecution charges privately owned newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm’s Editor-in-Chief Ali El-Sayyed and journalist Ahmed Youssef with illegally acquiring confidential documents that the journalists allege contain evidence of rigging in the 2012 presidential elections. El-Sayyed and Youssef are detained, questioned and released on bail pending further investigations. 18 Egyptian squash player Mohamed Elshorbagy beats Amr Shabana to win the US Open and take top spot in the PSA World rankings. 20 Meeting with the Arab Journalists Union, Al-Sisi reveals he believes the three Al Jazeera journalists currently awaiting an appeal should have been deported and not incarcerated, even though some of the journalists imprisoned are Egyptian. The president asserts he cannot intervene before the judicial process is complete, adding that the judiciary is an independent body and that he would not comment on any court ruling. 21 Activist Asmaa Mahfouz, about to set off on a trip to Thailand, is banned from traveling. No reason is given for the decision, but a day later travel bans are lifted for activist Amr Hamzawy and journalist Abd El-Halim Qandil. 22 Musician Hani Mehanna is sentenced to five years in jail for fraud. Mehanna is accused of unlawfully acquiring public funds and illegally receiving over LE 3 million from the Bank of Alexandria. 22 The Royal Museum of Jewelry in Alexandria reopens after its closure for security purposes since the January 25 Revolution. The museum is home to some 1,045 archaeological pieces of jewelry and antiques that once belonged to the Egyptian royal family. 24 Thirty-three security forces are killed in two separate attacks in Sinai. In Al-Kharouba, northwest of Arish, a car bomb targeted two armored vehicles, reported to be filled with ammunition and weaponry, causing a large explosion and a death toll of 30. In the second attack, gunmen opened fire on the Karam El-Qawadis checkpoint in Arish, killing three security personnel. In a speech to the nation a day later, Al-Sisi declares a three-month state of emergency in North Sinai and states that the attacks received “foreign support.” No group claims responsibility for the attacks, and Al-Sisi later issues a presidential decree that gives military prosecution jurisdiction over those accused of crimes against the state’s “vital” institutions. The decree will be put into effect for at least two years, with some experts fearing it will further expand military courts’ jurisdiction to try civilians. 26 Twenty-three activists charged with organizing illegal protests are sentenced to three years in jail, followed by three years of probation. Among them are Sanaa Seif, sister of activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, human rights lawyer Yara Sallam, Al-Badil photojournalist Abdel-Rahman Mohamed and photographer Rania El-Sheikh. They are also fined LE 10,000 each. 28 Students from Helwan University’s Faculty of Arts launch a campaign to color the streets of Cairo. Taking the motto “If you want to see change, be the change” volunteers paint public bridges and stairs with 3D murals and designs. 30 An ancient Egyptian temple believed to belong to the New Kingdom’s King Thutmose III is discovered 40 kilometers south of the Pyramids of Giza. Residents of a Giza home dug up the tomb, which was under their house, only to be arrested for illegal excavation.

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