is going through the worst phase of its modern history due to poor public services, human right abuses, and the deterioration of living standards. The statement invited all opposition forces to join forces to save the nation.
More than 500 engineers were prevented by the security forces from holding a meeting at the Engineers Club. The meeting was meant to discuss a strategy on how to end the government control of the Engineer Syndicate (ES). The ES has been managed by state appointed conservators for the last 15 years. Engineers hope to regain control of their syndicate.
On September 6, 2007 Ayman Ismail was found hanged in his prison cell. Ismail was serving a five-year jail sentence for being an accomplice of Ayman Nour, the former Ghad-Tomorrow- party leader, after presumably forging signatures of party founders. Ismail was sharing the cell with three other inmates who discovered the corpse in the morning. The Ministry of Interior issued a statement stated that Ayman Ismail was suffering from depression, which probably led him to suicide. Ismail's family denies that he committed suicide and believes that he was murdered.
Thousands of Sinai Bedouins ended two days of protests after the release of two Sinai Bedouin detainees. The relationship between the state and the Bedouins has been tense in the last few months. Bedouins complain of poor living conditions and land ownership issues.
Five thousand employees of the "Real Estate Taxes" demonstrated on September 10, 2007 and threatened to start a general strike. The "Real Estate Taxes" employees are currently under the authority of local council and wish to be put under the authority of the ministry of finance like other tax authorities. The move would increase their bonuses for up to nine months of salary.
The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) drafted a political program in what might be a step to apply for the creation of a political party. The program was sent to intellectuals and thinkers for review and feedback before it is as adopted as the official political program of the MB.
On September 13, 2007 a surprise verdict condemned four editors of political tabloids to two years in jails for "humiliating the symbols of the ruling National Democratic Party". The four editors are Ibrahim Eissa, editor of al-Destour; Adel Hammouda, editor of al-Fagr; Wael Al-Ebrashi, editor of Sawt al-Umma; and Abdel-Halim Kandil, editor of al-Karama, all of whom have been critical of the regime. The editors will appeal this verdict.
The Journalists Syndicate (JS) met on September 16, 2007 to express opposition to the regime’s persecution of journalists. The JS aims to start a wave of protests, beginning with one day of intentionally not publishing independent and party newspapers. The protests were prompted by two-year jail sentences of four independent newspaper editors accused of "humiliating the symbols" of the ruling National Democratic Party.
On September 20, the Journalists Syndicate, the Lawyers Syndicate and the Union of Writers joined forces to create an "Opinion Front" to defend freedom of speech in
On September 24, 2007, Anwar al-Hawari, the editor of the Wafd Newspaper, and two other Wafd journalists were sentenced to two years in jail. The journalists were accused of tarnishing the reputation of the Minister of Justice. The Wafd Newspaper is owned by the liberal Wafd party, and is the largest opposition daily in
