Egypt: Jailed presidential hopeful Sami Anan threatens military blackmail if mistreated in detention

Imprisoned former Egyptian presidential hopeful has threatened to divulge military secrets should he be mistreated in detention, as a leading anti-corruption campaigner voices assassination fears.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

12 February, 2018

Anan says he has documents relating to the military intelligence's role in Egypt's affairs [Getty]

Imprisoned former army chief of staff Sami Anan has documents implicating current Egyptian leaders of crimes committed by the military regime since the January 25 revolution, leading anti-corruption campaigner Hisham Geneina has revealed, while sources close to Anan have told The New Arab that these documents will come to light "should he be mistreated by Egyptian authorities."

Geneina was a former anti-corruption watchdog chief and part of Lieutenant General Sami Anan's campaign team for March’s presidential elections, before the challenger was arrested.

He was sacked by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as Egypt's main auditor after he claimed the country had lost $1 billion to corruption in three years.

Geneina now fears that Anan could be assassinated to prevent him from legally challenging the army chief’s exclusion from the presidential elections, according to an interview with Huffington Post Arabic on Sunday.

Geneina said that Anan told him there were "hidden facts" that would alter the public’s opinion concerning those in power in Egypt. He added that these centred around the Mohammed Mahmoud and the Maspero massacres in 2011, where protesters were killed by Egyptian security forces. It also included the assassination of prominent opposition figure Sheikh Emad Effat, as well as the 2013 military coup.

Geneina said that Anan told him there were 'hidden facts' that would alter the public’s opinion concerning those in power in Egypt

Anan revealed that he had documents implicating current figures in the military regime in crimes against protesters, and the role of military intelligence during the transition period. He said these files "were being held by friends outside Egypt."

He reportedly threatened interrogators by saying he will reveal these files if they treated him in a manner that did not "respect his military history".

Anan is being held at a military prison in Hikestep and has been subject to four hearings, military sources told The New Arab, adding that he had recently been transferred to solidarity confinement.

Sisi's government has been accused of prolific corruption by human rights groups. Anan was seen as Sisi's main challenger before he was detained earlier this week. He was accused of not receiving permission from army staff to run for president.

Other challengers who posed a threat to Sisi have also been detained or shackled with unsubstantiated charges.

Sisi became Egypt's leader after a military coup overthrew the country's first democratically-elected government in 2013.