Son of jailed Egyptian presidential hopeful Anan arrested

Samir Anan has been arrested after being investigated for making anti-regime tweets, in the latest crackdown on any remaining opposition to President Sisi ahead of the general election in March.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

08 February, 2018

Sisi has been dismantling all political opposition ahead of the elections in March [Getty]

Samir Sami Anan, the son of jailed presidential hopeful Sami Anan, has been arrested, al-Araby al-Jadeed reported on Wednesday.

The latest news comes after the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) announced on Tuesday it was investigating Anan, an employee of theirs, for comments he made on social media, according to al-Araby.

Moataz Khamis, a spokesman for the naval academy, said that Anan was interrogated and suspended from the academy on Monday, and has since been referred to an "accountability committee", the highest disciplinary body at the AASTMT.

According to Khamis, Samir Anan denied making any derogatory comments on Twitter towards the regime of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Since the arrest of his father following the announcement of his presidential bid, Samir Anan spoke out against the "injustice" his father had been subjected to. His Twitter account has since been suspended.

The Egyptian military prosecution announced on Wednesday that it was renewing the detention of Sami Anan, the former chief-of-staff of the Egyptian army, according to al-Araby al-Jadeed.

The retired general is currently being held in a military prison, according to his lawyer. However, his son had previously voiced concern that he did not know the whereabouts of his father.

Anan, who announced his bid for the presidency shortly before the filing deadline for candidates, was arrested days later and accused of making a presidential bid without first getting permission from the authorities.

The incumbent Egyptian President Sisi, is virtually certain of winning a second, four-year term, after arrested a string of would-be challengers, or forcing them to quit the race.

Other top challengers to drop out include Ahmed Shafiq, a prime minister under former long-serving president Hosni Mubarak, and Mohamed Anwar Sadat, a dissident and nephew of the former president of the same name.

Shafiq reversed a pledge to run after he was returned to Egypt from exile in the United Arab Emirates, while Sadat said the climate was not right for free elections.

Last month a military court sentenced Colonel Ahmed Qonsowa to six years in jail after he announced his intention to stand.