Egyptian court imposed yesterday Sunday on Abdel Moneim Abul Futuhunlucky candidate in the 2012 presidential election, 15 years imprisonment for dispersal «false information” and “undermining state security“, Became known from a source close to the judicial system.
Imprisoned since February 2018 – although this measure can not be imposed for more than two years, under Egyptian law – Abul Futuh was convicted along with 24 other Islamist opposition figures. He can appeal.
Among them was Mahmoud Ezatthe former top leader of the most banned Muslim Brotherhood, who had already been sentenced to life in prison for “espionage”, and the second-in-command of the “Masr Kawiya” (“Strong Egypt”) party of Abu Mohammed Futuh, al Kasas.
Mr Futuh was arrested on his return from London, where he gave interviews in which he criticized the government and called for an abstention in the presidential election that led to the re-election of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. .
The 2012 was the candidate in the election won by the candidate of the Muslim BrotherhoodMohamed Morsi – who was overthrown by Mr Sisi, then army chief, in a 2013 coup.
Abul Futuh, who had been listed as a “terrorist” and whose assets had been frozen for the past four years, was accused of belonging to an “illegal organization” before a counterterrorism tribunal.
However, although he was considered close to the Muslim Brotherhood for some time, before being ousted from their leadership in 2009, he denied any involvement in the movement.
His defense attorney, Khaled Ali, a figure in the Egyptian left and a former presidential candidate, decided to use the weapons of Mr Sisi’s mechanisms to defend his client.
In April, he presented to judges as evidence video clips unknowingly taken by Abul Futuh from the intelligence service, in which he criticized the Muslim Brotherhood.
Amnesty International – which recently reported that Egypt holds the world record for the death penalty, with more than 350 in 2021 – stigmatized the verdict and the sentence, citing “completely unfair political trials”, complaining that the accused They suffered “torture and ill-treatment” while in custody and called on Mr Sisi to order their release.
Abul Futuh, “70,” lacks the “years of medical care” he needs, the human rights group added.
In the most populous Arab country, which has more than 60,000 political prisoners, according to NGOs, Mr Sisi proposed a “national dialogue” in late April. But human rights defenders have been wary of the gesture, saying it has so far only brought about the release of some 40 political prisoners.
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