Sentencing Ahmed Tantawi and Campaign Members to One Year in Prison, Barring Tantawi from Running for Office for Five Years
Berlin May 29, 2024
Law and Democracy Support Foundation condemns the decision of an Egyptian Appeals Court to uphold the February verdict against Egyptian politician and former presidential candidate Ahmed Tantawi, his campaign manager Mohamed Abu el-Diyar, and 22 of his supporters, sentencing them to one year of imprisonment with labor. The court also upheld the ban on Tantawi running for elections for five years. Tantawi was arrested while attending the appeal hearing to serve his sentence.
LDSF documented numerous systematic violations during the endorsement phase to prevent Tantawi and his supporters from exercising their constitutional right to run and vote. Despite Tantawi submitting complaints to the Higher Elections Commission, no action was taken, prompting Tantawi to call on his supporters to fill out popular endorsement forms supporting his candidacy. The following day, the Ministry of Interior announced the arrest of several Tantawi supporters, accusing them of forging endorsement documents. They were investigated by the State Security Prosecution and referred to the Zaytoun Misdemeanor Court on charges of “printing or distributing, by any means, voting cards or election-related documents without the permission of the competent authority.”
The primary court sentenced Tantawi to one year of imprisonment with labor and barred him from running for parliamentary elections for five years in case number 16336 of 2023, Matareya Misdemeanors. The authorities did not allow Tantawi’s lawyers to obtain official copies of the case documents, violating their right to a fair trial. The Egyptian authorities also arrested 194 of his supporters and campaign members, with some facing unfounded terrorism charges.
LFSD asserts that the trial of Tantawi and his supporters reflects the Egyptian government’s approach under the current president, which involves stifling freedoms, restricting public space, and limiting political participation. The persecution of competitors to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is seen as a longstanding practice by security agencies since previous elections, marked by unprecedented repression of anyone intending to run for office, aiming to clear the field of any independent or opposition candidates merely attempting to challenge Sisi.
The Foundation stated: “This unjust sentence against Tantawi, simply for exercising his constitutional right, reaffirms that any attempt to compete against the current president in elections will be met with severe retaliation by the Egyptian authorities.”
The Foundation calls on the Egyptian authorities to drop all charges against Tantawi and his supporters, to release them immediately and unconditionally, and hold the authorities responsible for their health and safety. It also demands an end to all forms of persecution against Egyptian politicians as punishment for exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression, and their right to political participation.
