Opposition politician Ahmed Tantawi arrested after court upholds 1-year sentence

A Cairo appeals court upheld on Monday orders to imprison opposition politician and former presidential hopeful Ahmed al-Tantawi, his campaign manager Mohamed Aboul Diyar and 21 more campaign members. Almost immediately after the decision was issued, the presiding judge gave orders for Tantawi’s arrest, and the politician was arrested during the court session held in the Fifth Settlement, lawyer Nabih al-Genady told Mada Masr.

Tantawi was in court to appeal the one-year prison sentence he was issued on charges of electoral fraud during his campaign to qualify for the 2023 presidential race.

The former presidential hopeful was referred to trial in November along with his campaign members on charges of printing and circulating election papers without authorization from the competent authority, with the intention of collecting endorsements for Tantawi to qualify during the nomination phase of the election.

Tantawi’s campaign asked supporters to collect popular endorsement forms after members of the public trying to register their official nominations were met with harassment, intimidation and physical violence throughout the lead-up to the 2023 presidential ballot.

In February, the Matareya Misdemeanors Court sentenced Tantawi to a year in prison, with bail set at LE20,000. He was also prohibited from running in parliamentary elections for five years. 

The court issued the same sentence for Aboul Diyar, who did not attend today’s court session, hoping to later appeal the absential ruling, lawyer Hoda Nasrallah told Mada Masr. An earlier appeal by Aboul Diyar on May 8 was also shot down by the court.

The court sentenced 21 other members of Tantawi’s campaign, who were arrested in different parts of the country, to one year in prison with labor.

Tantawi can still appeal the sentence at the Cassation Court, the highest criminal court in the country.