Dozens of Egyptian journalists attend a demonstration at the Syndicate of Journalists in Cairo on June 13, 2017 after a controversial agreement to hand over two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia passed an Egyptian parliamentary committee. MOHAMED EL-RAAI/AFP/Getty Images
Egypt hands over Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia
Lawmakers voted on June 14 to hand over two uninhabited Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, despite widespread public criticism and a March court decision striking down the agreement. Reuters reported that the treaty must now be ratified by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as a formality. The vote was backed by the House Committee on Defense and National Security and approved by a majority of members. The Supreme Constitutional Court is yet to rule on whether the Supreme Administrative Court, which is seeking to block the deal, has jurisdiction over matters of sovereignty.
Son of Muammar Qaddafi Freed in Libya
The International Criminal Court in The Hague called for the arrest and surrender of Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi, a son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi who was freed from a Libyan jail on June 9. The BBC reported that the younger Qaddafi spent six years in jail after being captured by a militia in November 2011, and was later sentenced to death by a Tripoli court in absentia. He was released last week by one of the country’s two competing governments under an amnesty law.
King of Morocco supports Kuwaiti mediation of Gulf crisis
King Mohammed VI expressed “full support” of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in his efforts to resolve the Gulf diplomatic crisis. Al Jazeera reported that the king called for the countries involved to “exercise restraint” and “show wisdom with a view to easing tensions and resolving the crisis.” Morocco has sent planes carrying humanitarian aid, including food, to Qatar since Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen and others cut diplomatic relations with the country.
Algerian and French foreign ministers meet to discuss Libya
Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel met with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in an effort to end the spread of militant groups in the region. Reuters reported that Algeria and Tunisia have joined together to encourage an “inclusive dialogue” for a political solution in neighboring Libya. France is concerned about the potential for Islamic State militants and other jihadists to gain power in Libya, leading Le Drian to seek meetings with Egypt and Algeria about the situation.
Tunisians protest for right not to fast during Ramadan
Dozens of protesters gathered peacefully in the central square of Tunis, the country’s capital, to demand the right not to fast during Ramadan, after multiple abstainers were arrested. Britain’s Independent reported that men arrested for eating in a public garden during daylight hours were given one-month jail sentences, and that another man was arrested for smoking a cigarette outside during the day. The government justified its actions by saying it has a constitutional role as a “guardian of religion,” but protesters said the arrests violated the constitutional protection of “freedom of belief and conscience.”
—Compiled by Anagha Srikanth
