Egyptian Colonel Sentenced to 6 Years in Jail After Announcing Presidential Bid
Egyptian Army Colonel Ahmed Konsowa was sentenced by a military tribunal to six years in prison on December 19, after announcing his intention to run for President via YouTube on November 29.
Konsowa was found guilty of expressing political opinions as a serving military officer, his lawyer Asaad Heikal told Reuters.
In the footage, Konsowa says he submitted his resignation to the Egyptian Army in 2014, in order to run for President, but that his resignation was denied. Heikal told Masr al-Arabiya that Konsowa had attempted to resign several times.
Konsowa goes on to criticize his circumstances, noting that current Egyptian president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi was allowed to resign from the army prior to his Presidential run.
On December 3, Konsowa was sentenced to 15 days in prison for violating the requirements of the military regime, An-Nahar reported.
At the 17:53 mark, Konsowa begins to speak in English. Credit: Ahmed Konsowa via Storyful
