The weekly newsletter from the 29th of October to the 4th of November
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Egypt
A decision to release for the detainees of September 20…A continuous election…A catastrophe for refugees…A huge electoral appeals
The National Elections Authority, headed by Counselor Lashin Ibrahim, Vice President of the Court of Cassation, announced the final results of the first phase of the Parliament.
The participation rate was 28.06%, as the number of attendees reached about 9 million voters out of 31 million voters in 14 governorates where the first phase of the elections took place.
The National Elections Authority had announced that all the appeals of the candidates in the first round of the first phase of the Parliament’s elections which include 14 governorates, didn’t include violations that affect the results and most of the appeals requested recounting some subcommittees. So all appeals are rejected.
The Supreme Administrative Court of the State Council, headed by Counselor Mohamed Hosam Al-Din, the head of the State Council, received nearly 74 judicial appeals.
A number of candidates had complained about a variation in the results of the votes count, between the results received by the candidates from the sub-committees, sealed by the judge overseeing the ballot box, and the results of the general committee which collects the results of the sub-committees and announces the result, which the candidates were informed of orally.
According to Mohamed Foad, the current MP and a candidate in El Omraniya and El Talbia neighborhoods, the General Committee added in his electoral districts nearly 150,000 votes for the total votes participating in the vote, which the minutes of the sub-committees confirmed that the votes didn’t exceed 56,000 voters.
The same thing happened in the two districts of El-Saf and Atfih in Giza Governorate. A number of candidates who submitted complaints to the National Election Authority against the results which were announced by the General Committee for the two electoral districts, called for recounting in the sub-committees and re-announcing the results of the two electoral districts.
According to a complaint which was was obtained by Mada Masr and was filed by Mohamed Hafez Kassib,the candidate from the Atfih electoral district, the General Committee added to the votes of his rival, from the Nation’s Future Party, Shehata Abu Zeid, who was announced today the winner of the seat with more than 70,000 votes.
The Parliament continues until the last moments
The Parliament, headed by Dr. Ali Abdel Aal, approved the amendment of the Unified Tax Procedures Law, and that it would be referred to the State Council to be reviewed. And the amendment included adding two articles in the Unified Tax Procedures Law, to counter tax evasion.
The Parliament also approved, during the plenary session, a draft law No.10 of 1972 regarding a dismissal without disciplinary action which was submitted by Ali Badr and more than 60 deputies.
The law allows the dismissal of workers and employees of the state’s administrative apparatus in case they are included in the terrorist lists which is organized by the provisions of Law No.8 of 2015 regarding organizing the lists of terrorist entities and terrorists. And the bill provided that the ones in the terrorist list would return to their work in the event of canceling the listing decision.
The president insults the revolution on every occasion
“ It means the loss of the State”, the President Abdel Fattah Al sisi repeated his warning to the citizens against repeating the “issue of 2011” concerning the instability of the country. He explained during his speech on the margins of the opening of King Salman University in Ras Sidr via video conference, that what happened in 2011 caused the loss of some antiquities and smuggling a large part of it.
The opening of “King Salman” is an implementation of an agreement signed by the former Ministr of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr, with the Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Assaf, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Fund for Development, during the visit of the King of Saudi Arabia to Egypt in April 2016, and his ratification of a number of agreements, including an agreement to demarcate the maritime borders between the two States in which Egypt gave its sovereignty over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir in the Red Sea to the Kingdom.
The Murderers of Giulio Regeni are still free
The Public Prosecution’s statement said yesterday that a team of members of the “Attorney General” office who is responsible of the investigation of the death of the Italian doctoral student, “Giulio Regeni,” had received his counterpart from the Italian Public Prosecution, In order to be acquainted with the information and procedures that the Egyptian Prosecution concluded in the case, the two parties agreed to hold a similar meeting in Rome.
The Castle of Rights and Freedoms – the State Council – rejects the appointment of women
The Second Circuit of the Administrative Judiciary Court rejected the case No.59364 of 1973 of the administrative judiciary, which has been filed since February of 2018 by Omnia Jadallah, the founder of the “Platform is its Right” campaign, and the lawsuit appealed the unconstitutionality of some provisions of the State Council’s law and regulations, in addition to the decision of the General Assembly of the State Council which was issued In 2010 as its texts prevented Women who were graduated from law schools, from applying for positions in the council, similar to graduates. And the lawsuit also requested the referral of the case to the Supreme Constitutional Court for adjudication.
The court also rejected three other lawsuits from three graduated women in 2017, which they filed against the negative decision of the State Council to refrain from handing them files to apply for the positions of delegates in the Council.
Omnia Jaballah, the claimant, confirmed that she would appeal the ruling before the Supreme Administrative Court
The Prosecution of Mubarak’s family continues
The investigation authorities sent a letter to the Central Bank of Egypt regarding preventing the two sons of the late President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak from disposing of their funds due to one of the cases in the courts.
The investigation authorities requested preventing Alaa and Gamal Mohamed Hosni Mubarak from disposing of their personal funds temporarily. And some work is allowed according to the letter.
A decision to release for the detainees of September 20, after 14 months of imprisonment
The Second Terrorism Circuit of the Criminal Court at the Institute of Police Secretaries in Tora, decided to replace pretrial detention with precautionary measures for more than 300 prisoners in all the cases today. The decision to release included the blogger mohamed oxygen in Case No.1338 of 2019 listed by the Supreme State Security. It also released the journalist Sayed Abd Allah, the labor leader Rashad Kamal, and the activist Sameh Saudi in Case No.1338 of 2019 which is known in the Media as “the events of September of 2019”, together with all the prisoners in Case No. 1739 of 2018 listed by the Supreme State Security.
The photojournalist Muhammad al-Ra’i was also released after three days of disappearance, and El Raai had been summoned to the National Security headquarters without giving any reasons. When he went to it, contact with him was cut off, and his family or lawyers were unable to communicate with him or know his place. Muohamed El Raai works as a free photojournalist who publishes his works with many press websites.
The Cairo Criminal Court replaced pretrial detention with a precautionary measure for Dr. Hazem Hosni in Case No. 488 of 2019 of the Supreme State Security, and before his release, he was brought to the State Security Prosecution,in a new case and he was investigated under the accusation of joining a terrorist group in achieving its goals. He was investigated in Case No.855 of 2020 of the state security which includes Mahienour Al-Masry, Solafa Magdy, Amr Imam, Muhammad Al-Baqer and Israa Abdel Fattah for allegedly committing that crime inside prison. And the Prosecution issued a decision to imprison him for 15 days pending investigations in the new case.
- The Cairo Criminal Court, in Case No. 488 of 2019 of the Supreme State Security, decided to Renew the imprisonment of The two human rights lawyers Amr Imam and Mahienour Al-Masry, as well as the journalists Ahmed Shaker, Khaled Dawood, Hussam Al-Sayyad, Sulafa Magdy, Israa Abdel Fattah and the blogger Radwa Mohamed for 45 days.
- Yesterday, the Mansoura Criminal Court decided to renew the imprisonment of the activist Mohamed Adel for 45 days, despite exceeding the maximum period of two years in pretrial detention, in Case No.5606 of 2018, administrative AJA. The Second Terrorism Circuit of the Criminal Court decides to replace pretrial detention with precautionary measures for the journalist Haitham Hassan in Case No. 586 of 2020 of the Supreme State Security.
- Yesterday, the Terrorism Circuit of the Criminal Court decided to renew the imprisonment of the lawyer and former parliamentarian Ziad Al-Alimi, journalist Hisham Fouad and journalist Hussam Moa'nis, for 45 days in Case No. 930 of 2019 of the Supreme State Security, known in the media as the Case of Hope.
- The head of the Journalists Syndicate announced the release of Egyptian journalists Sameh Honain and Awni Nafeh.
On the 16th of May, the Egyptian security forces arrested the journalist and cameraman Sameh Hanin, the director of “The Pope’s Life,” and the State Security Prosecution in Cairo charged him with “joining a terrorist group in achieving its goals”, in case No.586 of 2020 of the Supreme State Security on the background of filming a documentary movie on the “Trio of Stage Lights”, and sold it to Al-Jazeera.
A new tragedy for refugees
The security forces dispersed a protest which was organized by a number of refugees in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on the 6th of October City. The police used batons and water cannons, according to participants in the protest who spoke to Mada Masr. They also arrested a number of them, and seized the phones of some of them, especially those who Filmed the protest and the police dealt with it.
According to eyewitnesses, dozens of refugees, most of them Sudanese, especially from the Darfur region, participated in the protest. South Sudanese, Eritrean, and Somali refugees participated in the protest, answering the calls to protest to denounce the recurring incidents of violence and assaults against refugees in Egypt, especially children, which followed the killing of the Sudanese refugee child, Mohamed Hassan, last Thursday, in the Sixth district of 6th of October City. The participants in the protest demanded protection, resettlement, or transfer them to camps inside Egypt to protect them.
It should be noted that Egypt does not have refugee camps, unlike a number of African and European countries that host them.
The Public Prosecution issued a statement regarding the killing of the 14 year old Sudanese child, in which it said that the police had arrested the accused person by killing him, and he is going to be investigated. It indicated that the accused entered the victim’s home and assaulted him with a blade weapon (knife). The prosecution had documents which proved that there are financial disputes between accused person and the father of the victim, including “expressions which show the intentions of the accused person to commit the crime”.
The Public Prosecution decided the imprisonment for 4 days for the accused person of killing the child pending investigations, and requested the security services’ complementary investigations concerning the incident to find out its circumstances
Coronavirus appears again
Dr. Tariq Shawky, the Minister of Education, announced that Dr. Hala Zayed, the Minister of Health, presented a report today in the Cabinet on the Corona virus and the numbers of infections in educational facilities until the 25th of October 25 after 8 days from starting the new school year. Tariq pointed out that the total number of infections is estimated at 49 infections only out of a total of 25 million students, and the minister continued:
“There are 19 cases in Cairo, while there aren’t any infections in other 14 governorates, 6 governorates with one infection, and other governorates with two or 3 cases of infection”. He indicated that there is no reason for worry as the numbers are reassuring, and the infections are asymptomatic.
- According to the Egyptian Medical Syndicate page, the number of victims among doctors in combating Coronavirus has reached 194 martyrs.
- The Ministry of Health announced that the total number of infections that was recorded in Egypt with the Coronavirus is 108,122 cases, including 99,765 cases that were cured and they left the isolation and quarantine hospitals, while there are 6,305 cases of death.
Libya
The hope is renewed with the sessions of dialogue- a Libyan-Egyptian rapprochement – the death of the Black Panther
Everyone is waiting for the sessions of dialogue
The sessions of the military dialogue and the political forum that would be held in Libya are the most important news that are in the top priorities of Libyans in this period. Most of the local social and political movement today is attempting to create a more consensual base among Libyans in order to make a strong ground for the implementation of the agreement that would be held in Tunisia. The two delegations of the leadership of the “Libyan Army” (which controls the east of the country) and the internationally recognized Government of National Accord arrived in the Libyan city of Ghadames, to participate in the meetings of the joint military committee.
The municipality stated that the delegation met with the Mayor of Ghadames, members of the municipal council and the notables of the city, noting that the meetings would continue until next Wednesday. The government delegation was received by the deputy head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Stephanie Williams, the Mayor of Ghadames and members of the Municipal Council.
It is noted that this is the first time that talks have been held to settle the crisis in Libya after signing of the ceasefire agreement between the delegations of the General Command of the “Libyan National Army” (led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar) and the Government of National Accord. The agreement signed between the two parties in Geneva on October 23, stipulates that foreign forces and mercenaries would be removed from the country, the dissolution of the militias, and the suspension of the agreements conducted between the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the President of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, in Tripoli.
The Libyan media indicated that the city of Ghadames which is located near the Libyan borders with Tunisia and Algeria, was chosen to hold the meetings of the Joint Military Committee due to its distance from the conflicts and polarizations among all Libyan parties.
On Tuesday, the 4th of November of 2020, the two delegations of the Libyan Joint Military Committee (5 + 5) reached an agreement on the terms of the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, the deputy head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Stephanie Williams. She stated at a press conference at the conclusion of the talks in Ghadames:
“The agreement was reached in a spirit of responsibility on the terms of implementing the ceasefire in Libya, and this was the first round of negotiations between the two conflicting parties in Libya. It is noted that four meetings were held outside the country, and the last one was in Geneva on the 23rd of October during which the “5 + 5” committee ( Five members from each party) signed a convention to a permanent ceasefire. Regarding the nature of articles of the Convention, Williams clarified that the convention consists of 12 articles to implement the ceasefire, while the most prominent article, is the formation of a military sub-committee to oversee the withdrawal of all foreign forces to their countries, and the departure and withdrawal of all forces of both sides to their camps located on Seam lines.
According to the convention which was signed in Geneva in the last month, a duration of 90 days was estimated for the departure of all foreign forces outside Libya, and Williams added:
“ It was also agreed to hold the first meeting for the Sub-Committee in Sirte this month, besides choosing the 16th of the current month of November to hold a meeting in Buraiqa (in the East) to discuss unifying the Petroleum Facilities Guard. The two parties also agreed to build joint military engineering teams to clear mines in cooperation with UN experts and to resume immediate flights towards the cities of Ghadames and Sabha ( in the South). Also,the Joint Military Committee called on the Security Council to issue a binding decision to implement all the provisions of the ceasefire agreement, according to the UN envoy.
Good hopes appears in the scene:
Stephanie Williams, the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Libya, confirmed that (UNSMIL) would work with the participants in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum which was scheduled to be held on the 9th of November in order to put a roadmap for holding the general elections. And Williams said during a press conference in Ghadames this evening, Tuesday, to announce the results of the “5 + 5” joint military committee meeting:
“In Tunisia, we would work with the 75 invited people on a political roadmap for the near future, and the main goal is to set a time schedule and a roadmap for holding the general elections”. Williams expressed during her interview with reporters her hope that “the political class would have the same level of national responsibility that we saw in the members of the Joint military committee.
A Libyan-Egyptian rapprochement to confront terrorism
Regarding the Libyan consensus during this stage, Egyptian sources revealed an upcoming visit by the Minister of the Interior in the Government of National Accord, Fathi Bashagha to Cairo, which includes meetings with a number of officials, led by the Director of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service (GIS), Minister Abbas Kamel, and the coordinator of the Egyptian relevant Committee concerning Libya, Major General Ayman Badie.
Sources which are close to the Libyan Joint Committee explained that Washington played a prominent role in the cooperation between Bashagha and Cairo in order to expand the process of pursuing terrorists, dismantling armed groups, and integrating them into the state’s security bodies. The same sources indicated that Bashagha seeks to build confidence With Cairo, to ensure that he would not be rejected from Cairo in case of becoming the prime minister. The same sources indicated that Cairo would discuss with the Minister of Interior of the Government of National Accord the balance of the Libyan relations between Cairo and Ankara.
The death of the Black Panther
Concerning the military level, the commander of the Special Forces of the National Army, Major General Wanis Bukhmada, died after a recent illness. Wanis Bukhmada, nicknamed “The Black Panther”, is considered one of the prominent and essential pillars of the National Army, because of its role in fighting terrorism and extremism in various regions, especially In the war that the army fought against ISIS in Derna. The commander of the Special Forces was known for his courage on the battlefields, his modesty and his simplicity in dealing with others, which made him a national icon that has always terrorized those living in the country with terror and corruption.
With these words, Bukhamada sent the last message through 218News to Libyans when he was overseeing the conduct of units of the Saiqa Special Forces, to the oil fields region to secure it from any potential attacks and preserve the capabilities of the Libyans. The star of “Bukhamada” has emerged since 2011 when he led field work in several axes during the February Revolution, and took command of the operations of Sabha and its suburbs in 2011; he also led the battles of the Special Forces in the liberation of Derna in 2011.
The tragedy of irregular migration continues
On the humanitarian level, the Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Accord (GNA) announced the seizure of boats of irregular migrants with 182 migrants of different nationalities in the sea. And according to the Ministry’s statement today, the marine boat P301 of the General Administration of Coastal Security was able to seize boats of illegal immigrants which have 182 immigrants from different nationalities, including (15 women, 8 children, one of them is a newborn child).
The statement pointed out that one of these boats had broken down in the middle of the sea, as “humanitarian and medical aid was provided to them in cooperation with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the International Humanitarian Relief Organization.
The infections with Coronavirus are increasing
Concerning the health level, the National Center for Disease Control revealed the details of the epidemiological situation in the country, pointing out that 781 cases of infections with Coronavirus , 387 recoveries and 13 deaths were recorded in Libya on Monday, the 2nd of November of 2020. The center noted in the daily update of the local epidemiological situation of Covid 19, that 3227 samples were received from its laboratories, and the results showed that 2446 samples are negative, and 781 cases are infected, including 531 new and 250 cases whom they have come into contact with infected persons. Tripoli recorded the highest number of infections with 387 cases and the highest recovery cases with 320 cases. The cases of recovery were 5 cases in Al-Khums, 8 cases in Al-Qalaa, 2 cases in Ajdabiya, 14 cases in Zliten, 3 cases in Kufra, 1 case in Rajban, 14 cases in Zintan, and 30 cases in Zwara.
Regarding the death cases due to infection with Coronavirus , 6 cases were recorded on Monday, in Tripoli, Al Khums and Zuwara as 2 cases for each city. In addition to 3 cases of death in Zliten and one death case in each of Al-Jamil, Al-Arba’a, Ghadames and Misurata. According to the statement, the total number of infections in Libya increased to 63,688 cases, including 25,800 active cases so far, while 36,995 persons were recovered, and 893 cases died.
Tunisia
A series of loans and an invalid financial law What is the solution?
The Assembly of Representatives ratified a loan of 180 million euros from the African Development Bank. Also, on Tuesday, the 27th of October during its plenary session, it approved a Loan Agreement of 161 million dinars from the International Bank for Reconstruction, entitled First Funding for an Emergency Development Policy for Resilience and Recovery.
Regarding the country’s financial situation, which is one of the most important issues that currently occupy the public opinion, the Finance, Planning and Development Committee, during its meeting with the Secretary of State to the Minister of Economy, Finance and Investment Support who is charge of public finance and taxation, Khalil Chtourou and a number of members in the Ministry of Finance, on Wednesday the 28th of October of 2020, requested officially to withdraw the amended financial bill.
The head of the committee, Heikal Al Mekki, confirmed the agreement of all committee members to reject the draft law in its current form, especially after hearing the Governor of the Central Bank, Marwan Al-Abbasi, who expressed his situation of rejecting to finance the budget through internal borrowing and the risks that could result from that. The Minister of Economy and Finance, Ali Al Kaali, confirmed that improving incomes, rationalizing expenses, and maintaining priorities to defend Tunisians in this difficult period are the most prominent amendments from the government to the amended financial bill of 2020. He also confirmed that the government agrees with the Parliament’s Finance Committee’s opinion that the time has not yet come to reform public institutions and it wouldn’t be included in the finance bill of 2020.
To encounter that crisis, a presidential order was issued in the official Gazette in Tunisia on the 27th of October of 2020, in order for a Presidential Committee to restore the stolen fund abroad. The order stipulates that the Committee has the role of evaluating the various measures that have been taken to recover the stolen funds that are abroad. The committee has the right to suggest and take all possible procedures to recover these funds.
Concerning the diplomatic issue, the former Tunisian Ambassador in the UN, Kais Al Qibtni, confirmed in a statement to Mosaique today, Tuesday, the 3rd of November, his intention to raise a lawsuit against Nadia Okasha who is the Director of the Office of the President of the Republic, Kais Saeid and anyone else who was involved in the systematic denigrate and the use of the state means to harm his integrity, according to him. Kais Al Qibtni denied the news concerning the existence of problems with the members of the Mission, describing these statements as “ ridicules and funny” and confirming the special relationship among him and with the entire team of the Mission in New York.
Concerning the Parliamentary activity, the Office of the Assembly of Representatives, during its meeting on Monday decided to hold a dialogue session with the government on Thursday the 5th of November of 2020 for dialogue with the ministers of health, education, higher education and social affairs regarding the health situation and the exceptional procedures.
The corruption is in its climax during the crisis
Concerning the most important cases of corruption in the State, the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education carried out a number of inspections, including files undertaken by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Instance nationale de lutte contre la corruption) and other files related to complaints submitted by citizens.
The monitoring operation included files that are related to suspicions of corruption on the academic path of a number of students and the violation of the organizing arrangements regarding their enrolment in public educational institutions in private institutes and the forgery of school certificates.
On Monday, the 2nd of November, the Commission received notification concerning suspicions of corruption against the head of a private prosecution office in a municipality in Monastir due to his favoritism in assigning the control over a weekly market. The commission started its work by communicating the institutions of the governorates in Monastir which provided the commission with the results of an investigation carried out by it regarding this issue which indicated the validity of all the procedures and regulatory conditions that were taken. As the Commission continued its work and investigation, it became clear that what was stated in the report of the Governor of Monastir contradicts the legal procedures in assigning utilization. It was found that the deadline for accepting offers was only six days from the announcement of the request for applications which makes the process of collecting the necessary documents difficult.
It was also clear the institutions of the Municipality refrained from providing the necessary documents to participate in the competitive bidding although the legal deadlines weren’t ended. This is an indication that the head of the municipality’s private prosecution has a suspicion of corruption due to his support for one file to monopolize the competitive bidding of the weekly market for years to the detriment of others
Towards tightening the procedures and getting out the covid tunnel
In a communiqué, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics announced that it would continue to implement the procedures and allow the owners of cargo vehicles to move during the specified curfew period, provided that the driver presents a license or permission from the owner of the institution or the transporter in an implementation of the measures announced by the Presidency of the government regarding imposing a curfew in all the State’s governorates in order to reduce the spread of Coronavirus
It also allows the movement of people between cities and regions in case they have an evident that it is necessary in the specified time of the curfew which would reduce the pressure on public transport and thus contribute to devoting the procedures to prevent infection.
Regarding combating the Coronavirus, On Tuesday, the 27th of October, the extension of the curfew in Sfax Governorate for ten additional days was approved, starting next Thursday.
It has also been decided to reduce the numbers of taxi riders to become 4 riders, including the driver. It was also decided to extend the curfew in Monastir until Saturday, the 14th of November 2020
On the other hand, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Professional Integration decided to extend the suspension of all official and friendly interviews in all sports until November 15. It also decided to carry out Compulsory tests for the national teams and to show the results when necessary. It is necessary that the results of the tests should be negative as a prerequisite for continuing Exercises and training. It is also necessary to inform any positive same in order to stop it in coordination with the relevant state institutions.
One of the most important news that occupied the public opinion this week was the issued decisions from the National Authority to Combat Coronavirus which grabbed the attention of the Tunisian People,as the statement was issued at a very late night, stipulating the following measures:
Calling on all governors to declare the curfew in all governorates:
- From Monday to Friday: From 8 p.m to 5 a.m
- Saturday and Sunday: From 7 a.m to 5 p.m
- Preventing movement among the governorates except for work necessity and exceptional cases that can be justified. Students are also excluded from this procedure.
- The Closure of cafes and restaurants starting from 4 p.m, with respect to the limit of capacity with 30% in the closed areas and 50% in the opening areas,and the organization of intensive daily monitoring campaigns in all delegations and the immediate closure for all who violate these procedures.
- Suspending lessons in primary and preparatory schools, and institutes, starting from Wednesday, the 28th of October after ending classes until sunday the 8th of November This holiday is devoted to sterilize all educational institutions With the resumption of classes on Monday, the 9th of November of 2020
- Adopting a remote pedagogical communication system in all higher education institutions while putting the logistical capabilities of universities for students who do not have the necessary equipment while preserving university accommodation and restaurants
- Banning all public and private demonstrations in all their forms from Friday, the 30th of October until Sunday, the 15th of November of 2020
- All gatherings of more than 4 people are prohibited in public places, except for transportation
- The suspension of attending all places of worship until the 15th of November of 2020
- To continue working with the exceptional administrative timing until the 15th of November of 2020.
- Excluding all purchases related to confronting Corona from the order regulating public procurement and assigning a special committee, headed by the Director General of Military Health to supervise this file
- Confirming the necessity of social distancing, wearing masks and the continuation of deterrent procedures against all violators. Concerning these procedures, the State is working to establish legal texts to activate remote work as well as remote study.
Frequent strikes in multiple sectors:
The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists announced Wednesday, October 28, 2020, the suspension of its negotiations with the Presidency of the Government regarding the situation in the media sector, as a result of “the policy of procrastination and lack of seriousness in dealing with the files proposed for negotiations with the union”.
The Syndicate said in a statement that a delegation from the syndicate decided to withdraw from the meeting regarding the file of Media before the meeting and to suspend negotiations “until (the government) changes its negotiation approach”.
The National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists denounced the interference of the media advisor to the Prime Minister to determine the representation of the negotiating union delegation regarding the file of the Media, her practice of censoring journalists’ posts on social networking sites and building her situations based on these posts, according to the statement. In the same context, journalists, employees of Cactus Broad coin organized a protest at the foundation’s headquarters carrying the red badge, rejecting the appointments which they described as “ suspicious and the government’s attempts to control the sources for political purposes”. According to their expression.
The head of the Press Syndicate branch in Cactus Broad, Walid Bourois said that the demands of the protesters are to ensure the sustainability of the institution and determine its fate in consultation with trade union bodies and to pledge to provide wages, grants and privileges for journalists and employees, and workers , and support the organization logistically and technically in addition to many other demands.
On Friday, October 30, 2020, workers of the North Agricultural Development and Exploitation Company in Boussalem carried out a protest. They denounced what they considered a blow to the right to unionism, demanding to improve their professional status and provide a work environment in the company that helps improve production and productivity.
On Friday morning, October 30, 2020, the employees and workers of the Environment Company in Tataouine carried out a march from the company’s headquarters towards the headquarters of the governorate in order to express their anger due to the failure to settle their situation and to receive their salaries from3 months which increased their suffering in the inability to secure the daily expenses of their family members .
The protesters called on the Central and Regional Authority to accelerate the conclusion of negotiations with the negotiating delegation representing the state of Tataouine and the implementation of the provisions of the agreement document, especially regarding the Environment in the company and Company, and the fulfillment of all the requirements for the classification of the company and the activation of all the increases for the past years. In addition to the implementation of development projects in the governorate which are capable of advancing the company , ensuring Its continuity and mandates according to the legal formulas and to the Labor Code.
On Tuesday, the 3rd of November of 2020, the General Secretary of the Public University, Makram Amarnia, announced that the university decided to carry out a strike in all the governorates of the republic on the 4th and 5th of November , following the failure of the reconciliation session which was held yesterday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Local Affairs and Environment.
… Tunisia to where? Among terrorism, drugs and the extremism of the representatives.
It is known that the rate of crimes rises during crises and that criminals and saboteurs exploit these situations to carry out their criminal acts. In this context, the Terrorism Prevention Department of the National Guard was able yesterday to set up a tight ambush at the northern entrance in Sfax. It is happened after the team received information concerning transferring a quantity Of heroin, which led to seize a car coming from a neighboring coastal city with 3 youths on its board
And while searching the care accurately, they found 101 Ecstasy pills and also 39 grams of Heroine with one of the passengers.
In the context of following up the drug file and collecting the necessary information, the agents and staff of the National Guard Research and Inspection Team in Beja moved to the state of Gafsa and with permission from the Public Prosecution representative in the same state, they raided a house and arrested two people. This raid resulted in finding 23 cocaine capsules, 20 of them of small size and the rest of medium size in addition to To seize a pickup truck owned by one of the two suspects.
In the same context, criminal acts that sometimes reach the point to be a terrorism act continue, as on Thursday, the 29th of October, a terrorism act took place in front of the church in the French city of Nice, which killed 3 people. As today, Thursday, the the French MP from the Republican Party, Eric Ciotti tweeted that the perpetrator of the terrorist stabbing attack in front of the Church of Nice this morning, Thursday, October 29, 2020, is a young Tunisian man who had recently entered France from the Italian island of Lampedusa.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office authorized the Judicial Council to Combat Terrorism for a specialized security unit to open an investigation in order to find out the truth and credibility of the existence of an organization called “Al-Mahdi in southern Tunisia” that claimed the implementation of the Nice terrorist operation which resulting in killing 3 persons and a number of injuries.
According to Al Daly, the investigation would include the extent of this organization’s involvement in the terrorism crime in Nice, indicating that the public prosecution puts that tweet into consideration by cooperating with the special security units.
It is also noted that a wanted person who was convicted for 21 years in prison for belonging to a terrorist organization , was arrested.
Terrorism is not just committing crimes, but also inciting, spreading hate speech and violence among people. In a statement, a number of associations, organizations and personalities and members of the Civil Coalition for Individual Freedoms, expressed their deep dissatisfaction with the growing discourse of violence concerning the caricatures of the Prophet of Islam, which are the same speeches that were behind the crime of beheading the history professor, Samuel Paty, on October 16, 2020 in a suburb of Paris.
MP Rashid El-Khayari, who was elected to the Assembly of the Representatives of the People within the Dignity Coalition and then separated from his bloc, believed that his parliamentary characteristic exempts him from respecting the laws of the state, to say and do whatever he wanted without being held accountable. The aforementioned person incited hate speech through social media, justifying France’s heinous crime by what he called “defending Islam and its Messenger,” knowing that the speech of violence and incitement is criminalized by the anti-terrorism law and the prevention of money laundering (Basic Law No. 26 of 2015 dated August 7, 2015).He also insulted his citizens which it is supposed that he represents them in the Assembly of Representatives of the people by describing them as “the bastards of France”, “its agents” and “its servants”. He also said that they are traitors for the religion and homeland in order to be vulnerable to violent reactions And serious abuses.
This is what the aforementioned MP has been doing, as he deliberately and systematically distorts the legacy of President Habib Bourguiba, as he repeatedly accuses him of being merely “an agent of the French colonialism”.
In the context of addressing the violations that detainees are usually subjected to in police stations, the First Instance Court in Sousse 1 , in the midnight last night issued its judgment in what is known as the case of “Cheb Ayoub”, who died in the National Guard Center in Barakah Al Sahel
The Criminal Circuit issued its verdict, convicting the main accused person in the case who is a guard agent, and he was sentenced to five years in prison for premeditated murder, and the ruling was issued after hearing the case against the second accused person. It is noted that murdering the young man, Ayoub Ben Farag after stopping him and torturing him in the National Guard center in the National Guard Center in Barakah Al-Sahel in February 2019, sparked massive popular protests that resulted in the suspension of two guard agents. The first investigating judge in the Grombalia court accused them of premeditated murder, then they appealed in the first instanse court in Sousse.
In a similar incident that occurred this week, the investigating judge at the Court of First Instance in Baja undertook to investigate the circumstances of the death of a young man who was arrested in a security center in Nafza from the governorate of Beja
This week, Haika issued several warnings and alerts to channels, including AlHiwar AlTunisi, following what was mentioned in the Safi Qalbak Program. The Council of the Independent High Authority for Audiovisual Communication, in its session which was held on the 2nd of November of 2020, decided to send a warning to the Tunisian AlHiwar Channel regarding the contents of the episode of the program “Safi Qalbak” that was broadcast on the 28th of October of 2020. According to the council the episode contained grave breaches, violent and shocking media contents related to justifying violence Against women and normalizing with that without taking into account the psychological aspect of the woman who is a victim of violence assault.
With regard to the latest developments in the spread of the virus in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya :
Last Update : 05/11/2020 - 15:00
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