Graphical representation of Anan's misconduct of politics

CAIRO – 23 January 2018: Egyptian former Chief of Staff Sami Anan was arrested Tuesday on charges of announcing Presidential bid without obtaining permits from armed forces and committing forgery to be included in the upcoming race.

Anan announced his intentions hours after President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi declared his plan to seek a second term on Saturday.

Anan led the Egyptian Army from 2005 to 2012, he was also the deputy head of the Supreme council of the Armed Forces which has ruled Egypt after January 25 Revolution. The former Chief of Staff was ousted by former President Mohammed Morsi in 2012.

After he was forced into retirement, Anan founded the Arabism Egypt Party. The political party attempted to join the parliamentary elections in 2014; however, it was turned down by the Supreme Electoral Commission. Anan withdrew from the Presidential race back in 2014.

Anan posted a video Saturday, January 20, on his official Facebook page where he announced his Presidential bid, vowing to amend what he described the “Wrong Policies” undertaken by the current authority.

Anan called on the State’s institutions to stay neutral towards all the candidates who showed intentions to join the Presidential Race.

The Former Chief of Staff vowed to fix what he described as the deteriorated living standards in Egypt. He also revealed that he will appoint two civilian vice presidents, former top auditor Hesham Geneina for Human Rights and Transparency and Cairo University Political Science Professor Hazem Hosny for knowledge, besides, acting as a Presidential Spokesperson.

Anan rejected the Egyptian/Saudi maritime demarcation agreement ratified by the Egyptian Parliament in June 2017. The agreement handed over the two Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir to Saudi Arabia.



Authorities on Tuesday took former chief of staff, Sami Anan, into custody after violating a military code and committing forgery.

A statement on state television by the Armed Forces accused Anan of a “serious breach of the laws of military service.”

The speech also said Anan was “blatantly inciting against the Egyptian armed forces to try and "drive a wedge between the armed forces and the great Egyptian people.”

The army’s statement came as follows:

In the Arab, African and Islamic world, and in the face of the unprecedented challenges posed by external forces and internal armed groups, the Egyptian Armed Forces have always been at the forefront, fighting to maintain the integrity of the Egyptian state and its institutions, according to a set of necessary and strict legal frameworks.

In light of the announcement of candidacy issued by the former major -general Sami Hafez Annan, the former chief of staff of the armed forces, the Armed forces could not turn a blind eye to the blatant violations of the armed forces laws and regulations, that were committed by Anan, and that are set forth as follows:

First, he declared his candidacy for the presidential elections without obtaining the approval of the armed forces, or taking the necessary measures to legally validate his candidacy process.

Secondly, the statement in which he announced his candidacy included explicit incitement against the Armed Forces, aiming to cause a discord between the Armed Forces and the Egyptian people.

Thirdly, Anan has committed the crime of forging official documents, showing that he is out of the military service, in order to be unlawfully included in the voters' database. Based on the above-mentioned and in adherence to the principle of the rule of law, all necessary and legal measures must be taken in this regard.



For its part, the National Election Authority has excluded Anan's name from the presidential race, having ran illegally for the position.