Politics

Egypt jails former presidential candidate for 15 years

Published

3 years ago

May 30, 2022

A former Egyptian presidential candidate in the 2012 elections in the North African country, Abdel Moneim Aboul Foutouh, was on Sunday, sentenced to 15 years in prison by an emergency court in Cairo after he was found guilty of giving “false information” and “undermining state security.”

Apart from Aboul Foutouh, who was a member of a proscribed Islamist body, the Muslim Brotherhood, 24 other members of the banned group also bagged various jail terms ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment, a judicial official said.

The former Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mahmoud Ezzat, was sentenced to life imprisonment for “espionage”, while Aboul Foutouh’s second in command in the Masr Qawiya Party, Mohammed al-Qassas, was sentenced 20 years in prison.

Aboul Foutouh was arrested on his return from London where he had granted interviews criticising the government and calling for a boycott of the presidential election that returned Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.

In 2012, he was a candidate in the election won by the Muslim Brother Mohamed Morsi who was overthrown by Sissi who was then head of the army, a year later.

Shortly after taking over power, Sissi placed Aboul Foutouh and other top Muslim Brotherhood members on a “terrorist” list and ordered that their assets to be quizzed for four years.

They were also indicted on charges of belonging to an “illegal organisation” before an anti-terrorism court.

While reacting to the sentencing, Amnesty International which recently placed Egypt at the top of the world record for death sentences with more than 350 in 2021, denounced the verdict, calling it a “totally unfair political trial.”

AI added that the the convicts had been subjected to “torture and ill-treatment” in detention, and called on Sissi to release them.

“Mr Aboul Foutouh, aged 70, has been deprived of medical care for years,” the human rights NGO said in a statement on Monday.

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Politics

Burkina Faso releases 4 French spies after Moroccan intervention

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

In a diplomatic spat over their imprisonment, France and Morocco announced Thursday that four French nationals detained in Burkina Faso for a year had been freed after mediation from Morocco.

They were spies, according to a prior statement made by the director of France’s foreign intelligence organisation, the DGSE.

A request for comment was not answered by the DGSE or a representative of the French military, which is in charge of the agency.

Since December 2023, they have been held in Ouagadougou.

President Emmanuel Macron hailed King Mohammed of Morocco on Wednesday for his intervention, “which made possible the liberation of our four countrymen who had been held in Burkina Faso for a year,” according to a statement from the French administration.

King Mohammed and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso were also commended by Morocco’s foreign ministry, which stated that “this humanitarian act” was made possible by their positive bilateral ties.

In October, France made peace with Morocco, one of its former protectorates, after three years of hostilities between Paris and Rabat stoked by immigration concerns and the disputed Western Sahara region.

Morocco offers Burkina Faso and other military-ruled Sahel republics Atlantic trade.

However, France’s relations with former West and Central African colonies, such as Burkina Faso, remain difficult. In Ouagadougou, French troops and diplomats were ejected, the defence attache and ambassador were asked to depart, and certain French media were suspended.

The military junta that took control in 2022 in Burkina Faso has been criticized by international rights groups for cracking down on free expression and harassing dissidents to handle a security crisis precipitated by Al Qaeda and Islamic State extremists.

Politics

Ghana: President-elect Mahama appoints anti-corruption team

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

According to a statement released by his transition team on Wednesday, Ghana’s President-elect, John Dramani Mahama, has designated an anti-corruption committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

When he takes office next month, Mahama, the leading opposition candidate in the presidential election held on December 7 and who received almost 56% of the vote, has pledged to reclaim the proceeds of corruption and hold those responsible for it accountable.

In anticipation, an anti-graft squad has been established. The parliament’s Committee on Assurances, which has previously raised suspicions of governmental corruption, is chaired by MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah.

An investigative journalist, a private attorney, a former auditor general, and a former police officer with experience in high-profile robbery cases make up the other three members.

After looking into alleged financial irregularities that took place during the previous administration, Daniel Dumelovo, the former auditor general, was fired.

Recovering lost assets and fighting corruption were two of Mahama’s main campaign pledges.

“He intends to hit the ground running on these commitments,” the statement said.

Eight years after leaving office, former President Mahama is back to head the West African country. Despite not being personally contaminated, he faced criticism during his 2012–2016 administration due to claims of political corruption.