In Egypt, the"national dialogue" that was supposed to open up the political field in a country ruled with an iron fist by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi, the former head of military intelligence, has not prevented opponents from being arrested and convicted. On Saturday, September 16, 64-year-old journalist Hisham Kassem received two separate three-month prison sentences. He was charged with "defamation" of a former minister, as well as "contempt" of a police officer during his arrest in August. These charges were rejected by his defense, which announced that an appeal trial would be held in early October.

This quick ruling came as the presidential election looms. Its exact date is not yet known, but it is due to take place before spring 2024 and could be held as early as the end of this year. While Al-Sissi has not declared his candidacy, there is little doubt he eventually will. In 2018, he was re-elected for four years, before the presidential term was extended to six years following a custom-made amendment to the Constitution in 2019.

The authorities clearly intend to choose their competitors, as was the case during the 2018 campaign, when an Al-Sissi supporter was designated as the opponent while more serious profiles were dismissed or imprisoned. Kassem, who co-founded the daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm in the early 2000s, was a "potential candidate" for Free Current, a three-party coalition advocating economic liberalization formed in June, and of which he is one of the leaders. But the legal verdict now puts him out of the running.

"The political climate does not allow free, fair and just elections to be held," declared Free Current on Sunday. Arrests have also been multiplying among the supporters and entourage of Ahmed Tantawi, the only candidate declared so far and the former leader of the left-wing Karama party, since he made his intentions public. On Friday, the opponent and former MP claimed that he had been wiretapped since 2021.

Kassem's troubles began with a personal dispute with former minister Kamal Abu Eita. Eita accused Free Current of answering to a "foreign agenda," while Kassem fired back by questioning the origins of his detractor's fortune. Arrested in August, Kassem refused to pay bail for his release. According to Mustapha Kamel Al-Sayyid, a political science professor participating in the "national dialogue": "The authorities have seized the opportunity presented by Kamal Abu Eita's complaint to intimidate Hisham Kassem and the opposition with him. In reality, he is being punished for his criticism and boldness." Kassem had denounced the army's stranglehold on the Egyptian economy and the excessive number of arrests.

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