Egypt Places Former Presidential Candidate on Terrorism List

A court in Egypt has placed Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a former presidential candidate, on the terrorism list following his arrest for 'contacting the Muslim Brotherhood.' Mr. Aboul Fotouh, a former Islamist and leader of the 'Strong Egypt' party, was arrested last week, just one day after returning from London. He had sharply criticized Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in interviews in London ahead of the presidential elections. The Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced after his arrest that Mr. Aboul Fotouh had secretly met with leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood during his stay in London and participated in a conspiracy to create unrest and instability in the country. He denies these accusations. There is little doubt that Abdel Fattah el-Sisi will win the presidential elections scheduled for March 26-28. However, human rights groups have criticized the preparations for the elections due to the withdrawal of several significant candidates under government pressure and the arrest of the main rival. The electoral commission has guaranteed that the voting will be fair and transparent. Aboul Fotouh is among prominent Egyptian figures who called for a boycott of the elections last month. Individuals placed on the terrorism list typically lose their right to travel and have their assets frozen. They are given 60 days to appeal this ruling. Mr. Aboul Fotouh's lawyer told Reuters that this ruling has not yet been communicated to him but that it can be 'easily' contested in court. He added, 'It is clear that the indictment and condemnation of politicians merely for expressing opinions is intended to intimidate them.' The MENA news agency reported that Mr. Aboul Fotouh and 15 others were placed on the terrorism list after the Egyptian security prosecutor discovered that they had joined an illegal group with the aim of 'harming the interests of the government.' The news agency did not specify the illegal group in question. Last week, Mr. Aboul Fotouh, in a rare direct criticism of the Egyptian president during an interview with the Al Jazeera network, which is illegal in Egypt, accused him of involving the military in politics, failing to end deadly attacks by militants in the Sinai region, and mismanaging the country's economy. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a 67-year-old physician, separated from the Muslim Brotherhood in 2011 after opposing the role of religion in politics and founded a moderate party called 'Strong Egypt.' He ran as an independent candidate in the 2012 presidential elections, receiving about 18% of the votes in the first round. The Egyptian government banned the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after the military ousted the Islamist government of Mohamed Morsi. Since then, the Egyptian government has declared the group terrorist, although the Muslim Brotherhood insists that its activities are peaceful.