State-owned newspaper Al-Ahram leads this morning with news that several icons of Egypt's former regime will be redistributed in Tora, Marg and Abu Zaabal prisons to comply with Parliament's request that they be moved in the aftermath of the Port Said football massacre last week.
Parliament made the request in the hope that it might hinder communication between the former regime officials and prevent plotting. Many members suspect that former regime officials orchestrated the violence at the match.
Steel tycoon Ahmed Ezz, ex-Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, former People's Assembly Speaker Fathi Sorour and former Shura Council Speaker Safwat al-Sherif will be redistributed. Gamal and Alaa Mubarak, sons of the former president, will be taken to Mazraa prison, while former Information Minister Anas al-Fiqqi will stay in Qanater prison, Al-Ahram reports.
Al-Wafd, a privately owned newspaper, writes that the prisoners from the ousted regime will be redistributed between five prisons within the next three days. It says that a civil rights lawyer called for including Gamal Mubarak, former first lady Suzanne Mubarak, Sherif, Sorour, Ezz and other figures in the lawsuit for the killing of protesters.
The paper writes that 13 coalitions are calling for a strike to start 11 February and continue until authority is given to a government put together by Parliament. The coalitions say the government would then immediately prepare for presidential elections.
Several coalitions plan to present parliament with a plan next week for restructuring the Interior Ministry, which will include dismissing the attorney general and appointing a new public official to investigate the killings of protesters, Al-Ahram says.
Former President Hosni Mubarak will finally be transferred to the Tora prison hospital, independent newspaper Al-Shorouk writes. Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said the hospital will be renovated before it hosts the ousted president.
Al-Shorouk also reports on the ongoing clashes around the Interior Ministry in downtown Cairo. Security forces built walls on Mansour and Falaky streets yesterday after they intensified attacks on the protesters with tears gas bombs and birdshot.
The clashes downtown broke out in protest of security forces' negligence during a massacre of Ahly football team fans at a match Wednesday in Port Said. Fighting broke out in the stadium after attackers coming apparently from Port Said's Masry side charged the Ahly fans, leaving at least 74 dead. Eyewitnesses have claimed that the charge was instigated by infiltrators.
Ahly Club's board of directors rejected condolences from Masry players and their coaches, twins Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan. Figures such as Amr Moussa and Mohamed ElBaradei expressed respect for the victims, as well as five Zamalek team football players and many actors. Hundreds of fans protested in front of Ahly club calling for speedy investigations, including former Ahly player and TV host Shobair, Al-Shorouk reports.
Al-Wafd writes that after the funeral for the victims, Ahly players said some of the victims sacrificed themselves to protect them. The players vowed that they would not play football again until revenge is obtained for the victims of the massacre.
Freedom and Justice, the paper published by the Muslim Brotherhood's political party, writes that four security officials affiliated with former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly are taking their revenge for the revolution. The paper says FJP security sources stated that several officers closely affiliated with Adly and his assistants, who are currently on trial for killing protesters, are still in their positions within the ministry after the revolution.
The newspaper also writes that the army has separated the Interior Ministry building from protesters with four gargantuan cement barriers. The walls are on Falaky, Mansour, Abdel Hamid al-Remaly and Youssef al-Guindy streets. All four streets lead to Mohamed Mahmoud Street, where the Interior Ministry is located.
On its second page, Freedom and Justice reports that the gas supply to Jordan and Israel has stopped after the most recent pipeline blast in Arish. The paper quotes a source from the Egyptian natural gas company Gasco, who says Jordan sent an official complaint to Egypt because of the recurrent gas supply stoppage, which results in large financial losses for the country.
Egypt’s papers:
Al-Ahram: Daily, state-run, largest distribution in Egypt
Al-Akhbar: Daily, state-run, second to Al-Ahram in institutional size
Al-Gomhurriya: Daily, state-run
Rose al-Youssef: Daily, state-run
Al-Dostour: Daily, privately owned
Al-Shorouk: Daily, privately owned
Al-Wafd: Daily, published by the liberal Wafd Party
Youm7: Daily, privately owned
Al-Tahrir: Daily, privately owned
Freedom and Justice: Daily, published by the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party
Sawt al-Umma: Weekly, privately owned
Al-Arabi: Weekly, published by the Nasserist Party
Al-Nour: Official paper of the Salafi Nour Party
