Egypt journalist jailed for impersonating army officer
An Egyptian military court has sentenced a journalist to a
year in prison for impersonating an army officer over the phone, his newspaper
and wife said on Thursday.
The ruling against Hatem Abul Nour, a journalist with the
independent El-Watan newspaper, was issued on Wednesday, the newspaper
reported.
It came as a panel tasked with amending the suspended
constitution debated a clause allowing the military to try civilians. The army
insists on retaining such powers.
Nour's wife, Wissam, told AFP her husband was arrested two
months ago, after he made some calls pretending to be an officer.
"He conducted calls saying 'I am officer so and so from
the chief of staff's office' to get journalistic information," she
said.Impersonating military officers and soldiers is illegal in Egypt.
His family and newspaper had decided not to publicise the
trial before the verdict, hoping for clemency, she said.
"We call on (army chief General Abdel Fattah) al-Sisi
to pardon him," she said, adding that they have children and the
"ruling is harsh on all the family."
The constitution, suspended when the military overthrew
president Mohamed Morsi in July, allowed the military to try civilians accused
of "harming" the armed forces.
The 50-member panel amending the constitution is
deliberating whether to keep that clause.
Rights advocates say the speedy military tribunals violate
defendants' rights to impartial trials.
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