And The High Administrative Court says its word : Red Sea's Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian islands

And Egypt's High Administrative has said its word loud and clear on Monday: Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian Island
Yes, in a historical verdict after a lot of anticipation and drama, the High administrative court rejected the government appeal against the administrative court ruling in June 2016 annulling the Egyptian-Saudi deal to redraw maritime deal, which placed the Red Sea islands Tiran and Sanafir under Saudi Sovereignty.
Here is the moment Judge Ahmed El-Shazly announced the famous historical verdict.

The verdict

I am so happy and people are so happy. I do not need to tell you that many people I know since early morning following the lawsuit and its update online and on TV.

Khaled Ali and Ambassador Massoum Marzouk at the court
after the verdict "AP 

Needless to say, security forced surrounded and nearly besieged the State council to the level that they did not let most people in including journalists.
After the verdict, there was a big celebration in the street outside the State council.

Khaled Ali outside the State Council after the verdict
 "Mohamed El-Ra3y"

Tiran and Sanafir : A big day for the Egyptian State Council "Updated"

Early Monday, Egypt will be waiting to the know the final verdict of the High Administrative court on the Egyptian government appeal against the court verdict annulling the Egyptian Saudi demarcation deal in April 2016, which placed the Red Sea islands Tiran and Sanafir under Saudi

 Lawyer Khaled Ali at State council "AP"

Sovereignty.
"Updated: The High Administrative court issued its verdict rejecting the Egyptian Government's appeal stating the two islands are Egyptian"
It is important day and it comes in a very critical time especially for Egypt's State council, which the High administrative court follows.
In June 2016, the administrative court issued its historical verdict annulling the Egyptian-Saudi deal to redraw the maritime borders and reasserting the truth that Tiran and Sanafir are Egyptian islands.
In August 2016, the Stat lawsuit authority which represents the government in front of courts challenged the court verdict and filed an appeal in front of the High Administrative court.
In the same month, it filed another lawsuit in front of the Supreme Constitutional court arguing the administrative court had no jurisdiction when it comes to the demarcation deal.
in September 2016, the Court of Urgent Matters suspended the administrative court's ruling in a surprise that stunned many mostly law experts because article no.190 of the current Egyptian constitution states that the administrative judiciary is the only jurisdiction in settling administrative disputes and only the High administrative court can challenge a lower administrative court's ruling.
The administrative court slammed publicly the Court of urgent matters describing it as "void" in what was considered a clash between courts thanks to the government.

After Egyptian Jews and Egyptian Italians , it is time for Egyptian Armenians

You saw the Jews of Egypt and the Italians of Egypt , now it is time for Armenians of Egypt.
Here is the new "We are Egyptian Armenians" Documentary featuring the long history of the Armenian community in Egypt in the past 150 years.
You can see the trailer here.


WE ARE EGYPTIAN ARMENIANS TRAILER from waheed sobhi on Vimeo.

This documentary film's creators are director Waheed Sobhy, fantastic researcher and producer Hanan Ezzat "Whom you should follow on Twitter if you love really rare old photos of Egypt and screenwriter Eva Dadrian.

The documentary features the history of the Armenian community in Egypt in the past 150 years and the prominent Armenian Egyptians figures like Van Leo. The documentary started as a project dedicated to the famous photographer at first but it grew later to cover the bigger sector of the Armenian-Egyptian society.
Famous singer and actress Anoushka is appearing in the documentary speaking about herself and her family.

The film was screened at Cairo International Film Festival.
It also participated in International Documentary film festival in Amsterdam and Karama Human rights film festival in Jordan.
It already got very positive reviews from critics in Egypt and was considered one of the best Egyptian films produced in 2016 by Ahram Online.

Personally, I believe that those films are important especially now with the disgusting xenophobic wave taking Egypt as well the World especially in Europe and in the United States.
The Cosmopolitan Egypt can be restored easily if the media stops spreading xenophobia before anyone.

And the "Signal" still comes and goes in Egypt

It seems that the Egyptian government has not lost hope in blocking "Signal" private messaging app in Egypt.

"Signal" app was not working again last week. I have tested it myself on both iPhone and Desktop on Wednesday,Thursday and Friday on Orange DSL and 4G.
At the same time, Signal users in Egypt reported that they can not use Google's Search or Gmail on Chrome on iPhone and Desktop.
I did not have this problem on Desktop on iPhone to be precise.
We did not know that there was a connection but Open Whisper System confirmed that Egypt aka Egyptian government is still trying to block Signal's service in the country but they are trying to overcome this.

Egypt keeps trying to block Signal, inadvertently blocking all of Google, and having to stop as a result. We'll also expand domain fronts. https://t.co/Gb7ulEDQyk

— Open Whisper Systems (@whispersystems) January 5, 2017

It is getting silly.

Merry Christmas again from Egyptian Chronicles

And Egypt is celebrating Christmas again tonight :)
Yes, tonight Egyptian Orthodox Christians are celebrating the Orthodox Christmas all over the country.
Happy Christmas from Egyptian Chronicles to all those celebrating the Christmas tonight especially in Egypt.

By Roger Anis , taken during the Virgin Mary Festival in Minya 

 For this occasion , I would like to share that beautiful mix of Christian Orthodox hymns and Islamic Inshad at the Cairo Opera House from Couple o f days ago when Cairo Steps celebrated both Prophet Mohamed "PBUH" Moulid and Christmas.

And Ahmed Maher is out of prison at last

Prominent Egyptian activist Ahmed Maher, the co-founder of April 6 Youth movement and its former coordinator is out of jail. He has been released at last early Thursday after finishing a three-years prison sentence for breaking the protest law.
Maher already was released from prison on Tuesday but he had been on tour in a number of Cairo's police station for some unknown reason in the past 48 hours.
Here is the photo of Maher with his brother Mostafa and their friend Mohamed Samy from a couple of hours ago.

Ahmed Maher in the middle, Mostafa Maher on the right and Mohamed
Samy on the left " Mohamed Samy" 

The prominent Egyptian political activist is out of jail but he is still on a probation for three years and according to this he will spend 12 hours on a daily basis from 6 PM to 6 AM at a police station.
He is also not allowed to have any political activity in the upcoming three years.
He can not travel of course.
It is like that he is out of jail but he is not completely free.
According to his lawyer, he can appeal against all that ..only after 6 months !!
Maher was sentenced three years in prison along with April 6 Youth movement co-founder Mohamed Adel and political activist Ahmed Douma for breaking the protest law in December 2013.
Mohamed Adel is expected to join Maher and to be released from jail within few days.
Unfortunately, Douma is serving a life sentence in the December 2011 clashes trial in addition to three years for contempt of court "Remember Judge Nagy Shehata".
Personally, I am glad that both Maher is released without a presidential pardon. Hopefully inshallah, Mohamed Adel will join him.
I hope that they will be free soon for real.
FYI, the current coordinator of April 6 youth Movement Amr Ali is also serving three years sentence. in jail for possessing leaflets calling for the regime's overthrow.

The new judicial authorities draft law : Back to the judges' anger

It seems that it is history repeating in a very a bad way, it is worse than what happened before in 2006.
Recently, Egypt’s House of Representatives proposed a draft law to amend the current Judicial authority that will kill what is known as the separation between authorities for real in the country if it is passed and ratified.
Proposed by a member of the Pro-regime “Support Egypt” Parliamentary bloc, the new draft law stipulates that the President chooses and appoints the heads of the four major judicial authorities in Egypt: The cassation court, the State council, The state lawsuits authority and the administrative prosecution authority.
In the current law’s article no.44, the heads of those authorities are chosen based on seniority by their general assemblies. The court presents the name of its senior judge as its head to the president and he just ratifies without rejecting or choosing another one.
In the proposed draft, the Supreme council of judiciary will present three names of senior judges from those authorities to the president and he/she will choose among them without any clear standards.
All the judicial authorities and clubs are rejecting the draft law which was discussed in December quietly somehow in the House of Representatives.

The Cassation court in Cairo 

The MP who proposed that draft law says it is based on Constitution article no.186 that stipulates the judges’ conditions and procedures for their appointment, secondment, delegation and retirement are regulated by the law.
On 25 December, the parliament decided to send the draft law to the 4 judicial authorities mentioned above in addition to the Supreme council of judiciary to know their opinion for consultation only in accordance with the Constitution article no.185 within ten days.
If those authorities do not answer back within ten days, the parliament will go on and discuss it.
The answer of the judicial authorities or rather judges is crystal clear, they completely reject the draft law and consider it as an attack on the separation of powers in Egypt as well the independence of the judiciary.
On the same day, Egypt’s Judges club said in a statement that that draft law was like an attack against the judiciary independence in the country. The Judges club also hinted out that the draft law that constitution stipulates on the independence of the judiciary in Egypt in article 185.