An Egyptian lawyer says a military court has sentenced an army colonel to six years in prison after he announced his intention to run against President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi in next year’s elections.
The lawyer, Asaad Heikal, told The Associated Press that Colonel Ahmed Konsowa was present at Tuesday’s sentencing hearing by a Cairo military court. He was convicted of violating military regulations banning political activism by active duty officers.
The verdict can be appealed.
Konsowa, 42, was detained following his December 2 announcement that he would run against Sisi, a general-turned-president who took office in 2014.
Egypt’s presidential elections are due early next year. Sisi is virtually certain to run, although he has yet to make a formal announcement. A prominent rights activist, Khaled Ali, has said he would run.
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Source: AP
