Egypt’s State Security prosecutor remanded on Thursday opposition figure Abdel-Moneim Aboul Fotouh in custody for 15 days for questioning over alleged contacts with the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
The list of charges against him include “inciting against the state and the constitution, calling for boycotting the upcoming Presidential elections in March, being a member of a law-labeled terrorist group and communicating with fugitives, destabilizing Egypt’s stability and security aiming to topple the current regime, calling for chaos and spreading rumors and finally hindering the state’s organizations from practicing their role in stabling and securing the country.”
Aboul Fotouh was arrested on Wednesday night at his house in the suburbs of Cairo, after two Egyptian lawyers had submitted an official complaint to the public prosecutor, calling for the arrest of Aboul Fotouh for “spreading fake news” and contacting members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The arrest also came after the man appeared on an Al Jazeera television show from London last Monday, “spreading fake news” and demeaning Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
During Al-Jazeera interview, Aboul Fotouh said Egypt's presidential election is a "referendum with guaranteed results" for el-Sisi, and he encouraged citizens to boycott the "absurd" vote, expected to take place between March 26 and 28.
On Thursday, the prosecutor had instructed Aboul Fotouh to undergo medical checkups at a prison hospital after he “complained of exhaustion and sudden fatigue.”
Following the arrest of Aboul Fotouh, his Strong Egypt party announced it was suspending activities and said the arrests marked “a complete closure by the ruling regime of political life in Egypt.”
In a statement issued on Thursday, the party also said it holds the ruling regime in Egypt responsible for Aboul Fotouh’s safety.
Aboul Fotouh, who quit the Muslim Brotherhood in 2011, is considered one of the leading Islamist political figures in Egypt.
