| Dissident journalist Ibrahim Eissa, along with media mogul Ibrahim El Moellam, launch Al-Tahrir newspaper, to represent the voice of the January 25 Revolution. |
| By ET staff |
| Eissa was forced to leave his position as editor of the opposition paper Al-Dostour in October 2010 after the publication was sold to Wafd leader Sayyed El-Badawi.Clashes erupt at a Cairo courthouse after a judge orders the release on bail of seven police officers on trial on charges of killing protesters in the city of Suez during the country’s 18-day uprising. The third attack on Egypt’s natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan occurs. Dozens of Egyptians ― both Muslim and Coptic ― demonstrate to demand the introduction of civil marriages. At present couples must follow the laws of their religion regarding marriage; civil marriages would allow divorce and interfaith marriages regardless of one’s religion. Galvanized by the Balloon Theater clashes with authorities, protesters return to Tahrir Square to renew their calls for dignity, freedom and social justice. Tents start to appear in the square’s central island and around the Mugamma, marking the start of a sit-in led by martyrs’ families calling for justice. Osama Heikal, editor of Al-Wafd newspaper, is sworn in as minister of information, a post that had remained vacant since Anas El-Fiqqi’s arrest. Egypt inks a deal to start up wind farms along the Gulf of Suez. The farms are expected to be in operation by April 2014 at a capacity of 200 megawatts and a total cost of $500 million. The European Investment Bank and the European Commission are set to fund the project. 12 The Cairo Criminal Court jails former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and former Interior Minister Habib El-Adly on corruption charges; former Minister of Finance Youssef Boutros-Ghali is sentenced to prison in absentia. Meanwhile, ex-Agriculture Minister Youssef Wali is held for 15 days pending investigations into allegations that he had allowed the import of carcinogenic pesticides. Fourth attack in El-Arish on the natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan occurs. Egypt’s military rulers announce the early retirement of more than 600 senior police officers. Some 505 generals and 82 brigadiers are dismissed; 27 of them are accused of killing protesters. After just one month in office, Foreign Minister Mohamed El Orabi quits in the face of continued demonstrations calling for reforms. The Ministry of Finance announces the sale of LE 2 billion of three-month securities at an average yield of 11.839 percent, 10 points lower than similar maturity notes sold a week prior. The SCAF commissions a top judge to form an electoral commission, kickstarting the process of organizing the parliamentary elections. Two new electoral laws are announced, with amendments adopting a mix of two election systems: the individual candidacy and party list. After a reshuffle a new Cabinet is sworn in. More than half the appointees are new faces including Mohamed Kamel Amr as minister of foreign affairs and Hazem El-Beblawi as minister of trade and finance. A protest in Alexandria turns violent as forces attempt to disperse crowds. Shots are fired into the air and there are allegations of demonstrators being beaten. Clashes erupt in Abassiya, leaving more than 140 injured after groups of men with knives attack demonstrators trying to march from Tahrir Square to the headquarters of the military. Demonstrators are demanding the army move faster in bringing former regime officials to justice and set a date for the transition to civilian rule. Following the violence, a statement by the SCAF accuses the 6th of April youth movement of attempting to weaken Egypt’s stability. Train conductors block railroad tracks in central Cairo’s Ramses Station after one of their colleagues dies in an accident. The drivers call for better train safety and an increase in their bonuses. 24 Dina Abdel Rahman, host of a morning TV show, is fired from the private satellite channel Dream, allegedly for discussing a newspaper article that was extremely critical of the SCAF. The Muslim Brotherhood announces that the Freedom and Justice Party will not field a candidate to run for president. 29 Tahrir Square’s ‘Friday of Unity and the People’s Will’ sit-in turns into a huge demonstration of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist organizations. Salafis dominate the protests in Tahrir Square, clashing with liberals. The protest not only shows the Salafis’ strength in numbers and their ability to rally thousands of people, but also reveals the ultra-conservative agenda as they chanted, “Islamic, Islamic. Not Western or Eastern, not liberal or secular.” Six people are killed and more than 20 are injured when armed men attacked a police station in El-Arish in Sinai. BBC Arabic staff go on a six-day strike against their management after a change in the duty roster results in 26 extra working days a year. Journalists also protest favoritism and mismanagement allegedly plaguing the division’s administration. |
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