Greater Middle East

UN criticizes Egypt draft demonstration law

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized Egypt’s draft law on demontrations that bars many of the same tactics used in the protests against Mubarak.

Greater Middle East

Egypt: death sentences for anti-Muslim ‘film’

An Egyptian court upheld the in absentia death sentences of seven Coptic Christians and a US preacher on charges stemming from the amateur anti-Muslim film Innocence of Muslims.

Greater Middle East

Egypt: Ikhwan Holocaust denial abets Zionists

Fathi Shihab-Eddim, a senior aide to Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, spews Holocaust-denying malarky—seemingly oblivious to how he legitimizes Zionist political logic.

Greater Middle East

Riots rock Egypt on revolution anniversary

Protesters calling for the fall of President Mohamed Morsi clashed with police clashed in Cairo on the eve of the the second anniversary of the uprising against Hosni Mubarak.

Greater Middle East

Saudi court convicts Egyptian rights lawyer

A Saudi Arabian court convicted Egyptian human rights lawyer Ahmed el-Gezawi of smuggling drugs, sentencing him to five years imprisonment and 300 lashes.

North Africa

Attack on Coptic church in Libya

Two Egyptians were killed and two injured in an explosion at a Coptic church at Dafniya, near the Libyan city of Misrata. The blast came just as mass was ending.

Greater Middle East

Egypt: opposition to appeal constitution vote

Egypt’s opposition will appeal the referendum that appears to have voted in a new constitution backed by ruling Islamic parties, asserting the vote was marred by fraud.

Greater Middle East

Egypt: high court suspends work in face of protests

Egypt’s Supreme Court indefinitely halted its operations amid pressure from protestors aiming to block the judges from ruling on the validity of the country’s new constitution.

Palestine

Gaza truce announced; bombing continues

Israel launched new air-strikes across the Gaza Strip, even as Egypt’s foreign minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced a ceasefire to end eight days of violence.