I will write either late tonight or tomorrow about today’s developments with Ayman Nor.
Sorry about this…but it was a wild day.
Pictures also coming….

I just received this SMS from Hizb Al Ghad.
One of the state witnesses has reversed his testimony saying that police obtained his earlier confession that was used against Nour under pressure. This proves the fabricated nature of Ayman Nour case and the regime intentions of framing hiim to prevent him from challenging NDP power [...]

In addition to the article referred to by Issandr about the death of an Al Ghad supporter during the trial of Ayman Nour, Al Misry Al Yom has a story today that reports that NDP leaders have begun calling for state television to cover and broadcast the oppostion’s anti-Mubarak demonstrations. Ex-minister of youth Ali Eddin [...]

A journalist from Al Masri Al Youm told me today that one of Ayman Nour’s supporters that had turned up in the suffocating courtroom died today, presumably from the heat and commotion inside the courtroom. It sounds rather far-fetched and as far as I know not confirmed yet, but if true should be soon. [...]

Ahmedinejad’s victory brings to an end 15 years of factional squabbling inside the Iranian regime. The leadership now controls all of the key institutions of state, and the reformers will have to regroup and plot outside the government, trying to build grassroots support. However, Ahmadinejad’s policies may do more damage to the regime over the next five years than the previous 15 years of inaction.

This afternoon, the judge in charge of Ayman Nor’s forgery case postponed the hearing until Thursday morning.
In the courtroom, the prosecution framed his case by asking for key documents such as his birth certificate, his PhD certificate, his Parliamentary membership papers, and his national identity card. Speculation is that they are going to build [...]

The Washington Times via UPI via Stratfor:
Fred Burton, vice president of counter-terrorism with Stratfor, an Austin, Texas-based outfit specializing in intelligence and counter-terrorism analysis, issued a report on June 22 describing the remotely detonated charge that killed George Hawi, the former Lebanese Communist Part chief, as “so sophisticated that few in the world could [...]

Yesterday, a group of about 200 (Kifaya-ish types) gathered in Lazoughly Square to protest against torture in Egypt. The protest coincided with the International Day for Victims of Torture.
The protest’s site was highly symbolic. Held in a square named after Mohamad Ali’s first interior minister, Lazoughly is where State Security and the Ministry of Interior [...]

I have a bizarre love for American small town newspaper articles. Anyone who regularly types “Egypt” in Google News will come across thee latest Little League results for New Egypt, NJ, which I never fail to read if only for their Capraesque take on American life. Today, it’s Elk Grove Times of Illinois that reports [...]

A friend recently sent me the most ridiculous article I have ever read. It appeared, of course, in the National Review, the conservative US magazine that serves as a publication of choice for the conservative movement’s intellectual mercenaries. This one deserves a bit of background to explain to the uninitiated why it is so ridiculous [...]

I promised a while back that I would discuss the ongoing rumors that Egypt’s press barons–the chairmen-cum-editors-in-chief of the state-owned press groups–would soon be replaced. Although that rumor began shortly before the referendum (with some people thinking it was a way to pressure the barons to avoid all negative coverage of that day), it has [...]

Yesterday, The Hamla Sha’biya min Agl al-Tagheer (The Popular Campaign for Change) held a demonstration in the Rud al-Farag section of Shubra (Northern Cairo).
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PICTURES:
Pictures of this protest are available here.
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For reasons beyond my control, I don’t have much time to blog.
So the quick highlights:
My band of friends arrived in Duran Shubra (Metro [...]

On Sunday, there is a protest at Midan Lazoghly – which is where State Security HQ are – to protest torture in Egypt. It coincides with the International Day for Victims of Torture.
The advertisement says the protesters will bid farewell to Egypt’s interior minister, General Habib al-Adly. The Kifaya offshoots (which seem to number [...]

Most of the papers, without getting to who said what, portrayed US Sec of State’s visit with with Egyptian figures following her AUC speech as “meeting with opposition”.
This is an overblown characterization.
First of all, in a conversation with someone in attendance, Rice was said to have done little talking and a lot of [...]

Youth For Change – the younger and newer activists on the protest scene – have a little news. Sponsors of yesterday’s demo against the Rice visit as well as last week’s protest in Sayida, Y-4-C is reporting that those detained from their group by Egyptian authorities last week are being released.
According to an email [...]

This afternoon US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, gave what the US Embassy in Cairo was touting as a “Major Policy Speech.”
Rice – who is on a five nation trip to the Middle East – came from Israel, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan.
She spent about 10 hours in Egypt. Reportedly, she met with president [...]

Remarks of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
At the American University of Cairo
Monday, June 20, 2005
Thank you, Dr. Mustafa, for that kind introduction. I am honored to be here in the great and ancient city of Cairo.
The United States values our strategic relationship and our strengthening economic ties with Egypt.
And American [...]

Excerpts from Remarks of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
At the American University of Cairo
Monday, June 20, 2005
In this time of great decision, I have come to Cairo not to talk about the past, but to look to the future — a future that Egyptians can lead and define.
* * *
We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all [...]

This week there are several small stories, including by AFP, about all the Pro-Mubarak signs coming down around Cairo. The Sand Monkey wrote a post on 15 June where he ridiculed the whole process by saying, “So Mommy Dearest Condi is coming to visit, and we all have to behave ourselves huh?”.
Perhaps it is [...]

Iran appears to be another of Iraq’s neighbours to suffer from an overflow of violence from Iraq. Bombings in Ahvaz and Tehran earlier this week, the worst Iran has suffered in several years, have been blamed by Iranians on al-Qaeda style groups, the US, or even on their own government (the argument being that the [...]

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For more pictures of yesterday’s protest, visit this album. Let me know if you want to use any of the shots.
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Yesterday, several groups that are nominally linked to Kifaya held a sunset protest at the Mosque of Sayida Zaynib in Cairo.
These groups, such as “al-Sharaa Lina” and “Shafeenkum,” are sprouting up following the [...]

President Mubarak will name a vice-president after he wins presidential elections in September, according to his spokesman cited in the FT on 14 June. This confirms everyone’s expectations that Mubarak will run and win in September. Naming a successor also means that Mubarak will have to come off the fence on talk of succession; until [...]

Egypt’s NCHR has been been a subject of fierce debate on the Arabist.
An Arabic version of the NCHR report is available here. For debate on this blog, see here.
In the latest print edition of MERIP (Summer 2005), which was published in early June, I published an article discussing it and the first annual report. [...]

There is an email making the rounds that details a Kifaya protest by Korea’s All-Together movement outside of the Egyptian Embassy in Seoul. All-Together was protesting in solidarity with Egypt’s Kifaya movement.
I am not sure what this means but it is amusing to think of the Egyptian Ambassador sitting in his office fuming as [...]

On Wednesday (15 June) between 6-8pm, the loose organization that is Kifaya and all the emerging women’s associations connected to it will be protesting at Midan Sayida Zaynib. This protest will highlight the security apparatus’s attacks on citizens of 25 May.
Thanks to Alaa for the head’s up.

I wanted to post about the new Al Ghad radio, but after a busy day it seems Josh beat me to it. I think it’s worth noting that the SMS many of us received also said that Al Ghad had applied for a FM broadcasting license, but I suppose was either denied it or never [...]

I received a text from al-Ghad this morning.
The party applied for a FM radio station but was denied by the authorities so they put the station online.
The text read enthusiastically:
“Today El Ghad has broken the regime’s monopoly on Radio Transmission in Egypt.”
Al-Ghad Radio for all you die-hards (and windows users) can be found here.
The [...]

The Council on Foreign Relations published its latest report, “In Support for Arab Democracy: Why and How” which was directed by Steven Cook and co-chaired by Fmr. Sec of State Madeline Albright and Fmr. Congressman and Project for the New American Century signature Vin Weber.
I have not read the report yet, but [...]

Photos taken at last night’s candle-light vigil at Dareeh Saad Zaghloul in Cairo can be found here.
Feel free to circulate them, but please consult me if you wish to use them.

Last night around 8pm, the various women’s associations that are spouting up in protest to the violence against women on May 25th were supposed to convene a candle-light vigil.
Yet, as pictures confirm, there were by-far more men than women and the theme of the event changed from “women’s issues” to a straight-out Kifaya function quickly. [...]

Al-Jazeera is reporting that al-Ghad leader Ayman Nor called for a parliamentary committee to look into the molestation and assaults on protesters during the 25th of May.
The report cites that “a majority of some 100 MPs rejected the request at Saturday’s session.”
According to AP, 22 MPs had signed on to Nor’s initiative calling for [...]

The AP published a story, which is being carried in loads of the major international dailies today that a new group called the National Coalition for Democratic Transformation is coalescing in opposition to Mubarak’s rule.
It includes former PM Aziz Sedki, judges such as Yehya al-Rifai (who is also been vocal in the ongoing judges-state [...]

In my post below, many people left comments asking about how the press system worked in Egypt. This is a quick overview, I hope I got nothing wrong.
There are essentially two systems for putting out a publication in Egypt. You can have a local license, which is obtained either by applying to the [...]

This week’s al-Ahram Weekly- a paper the state owns and allows to come out on time – has a smattering of articles following up the referendum. Naturally, the violence is weakly covered and there is only a small article on last Wednesday “protest in black”.
I encourage all of the Arabist’s readers to review the articles [...]

Then read something the government doesn’t want you to. Like this week’s Cairo magazine, which the censors at the Ministry of Information have decided is just not appropriate for Egyptian readers. The magazine may yet come out in a few days — we hope the good folks at the censorship office will come to their [...]

UPDATE
Sorry, I just saw that Issandr posted below on the same demo. Sorry for all the redundant material – but there are differences between the posts.
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PICTURES:
For pictures of yesterday’s demonstration and meeting at the Journalist Syndicate, go to this album. Feel free to circulate these.
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NDP-supporters and thugs are not very consistent.
Upset at Kifaya-sponsored protests [...]

Sorry if this is an overdose of demo-watch, since Josh has already posted at length, but I wanted to share my own thoughts about yesterday’s “Women in Black” demo.
On the one hand, I was disappointed by the turnout. Although I did not stay long and I understand there were many more people inside the Journalists’ [...]

Yes, its true. Yesterday, while protesters dressed in black, Bush called Mubarak to talk about democracy and free elections.
According to a Reuters report,
“I urged him [Mubarak] once again to have as free and fair elections as possible because it will be a great legacy for his country,” Bush told reporters during a session with visiting [...]

More Tomorrow!
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Here is a copy of the demand that was sent around at the protest today:

Nothing less than the Resignation of Habib El Adly
We the women and men of Egypt will wear black today mourning the deterioration of conditions in our country. We the mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, youth, students, workers, employees & housewives, along [...]