Aboul Fotouh in custody for another 15 days

CAIRO – 12 March 2018: State Security Prosecution Attorney General Khaled Diaa ordered Monday holding Muslim Brotherhood (MB) dissident Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh in custody for 15 days.

On February 12, an Egyptian lawyer submitted an official complaint to the public prosecutor calling for the arrest of former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, after he appeared on an Al-Jazeera television show from London. Lawyer Samir Sabry accused Aboul Fotouh of “spreading fake news” and demeaning Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

Leader of the Strong Egypt Party, Aboul Fotouh was then arrested on February 14 over six charges, including incitement, and he has been ordered detained for 15 days following an investigation by the National Security prosecution.

The list of charges included “inciting against the state and the constitution, calling for boycotting the upcoming presidential election in March, being a member of a law-labeled terrorist group and communicating with fugitives, destabilizing Egypt’s stability and security aiming to topple the current regime, calling for chaos and spreading rumors, and finally hindering the state’s organizations from practicing their role regarding stabilizing and securing the country.”

According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, the State Security Department intercepted communications between the banned international Muslim Brotherhood organization and Aboul Fotouh.

On February 20, the Cairo Criminal Court added Aboul Fotouh and 15 others to a list of “wanted terrorists”, which includes deposed President Mohamed Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood spiritual guide Mohammed Badie and other leaders of the group.

On February 25, Aboul Fotouh was held in custody for 15 days pending investigations.

In addition, Egypt’s Attorney-General Nabil Sadek ordered the confiscation of assets belonging to Aboul Fotouh and 15 others, according a statement from his office.

The decision was based on the state’s national security investigations, which revealed that the defendants were “using their money for terrorist activities,” the statement added.