CAIRO – 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 el-Sissi in next year's elections.
The lawyer, Asaad Heikal, told The Associated Press that Col. 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 Dec. 2 announcement that he would run against el-Sissi, a general-turned-president who took office in 2014.
Egypt's presidential elections are due early next year. El-Sissi 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.
Fox News' "Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.