Egypt court jails former presidential candidate for 15 years

• 05.30.2022, 15:45
•  World

middleeastmonitor

An Egyptian court has sentenced former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh and several prominent figures from the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to lengthy jail terms on Sunday for ''spreading false news'' and plotting to overthrow the state, reports Agence France-Presse and the Reuters news agency, ALJAZEERA reports.

Aboul Fotouh, 70, who suffers from several medical conditions according to his family, was sentenced to 15 years in prison subject to appeal, the court ruling said on Sunday.

Mohamed al-Qassas, the deputy head of Aboul Fotouh’s Strong Egypt party, received a 10-year sentence.

Also receiving a 15-year sentence was the Brotherhood’s former supreme guide Mahmoud Ezzat, who is already serving multiple life sentences on other charges.

Rights groups have repeatedly criticised such mass sentencings in Egypt and called on authorities to ensure fair trials.

The groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, say the arrests and trials of the likes of Aboul Fotouh and el-Kassas are part of a government crackdown on dissent that targeted not only Islamist political opponents but also pro-democracy activists, journalists, and online critics.