A farmer is southern Egypt was taken into custody after putting a military chief’s name and a military hat on a donkey, state media reported.
Omar Abul-Magd was arrested late Friday as he rode the donkey
through the town in Qena province, MENA news agency reported. The
farmer was taken into custody for insulting General Abdel-Fattah
El-Sisi, commander-in-chief of the Egyptian Armed Forces who led
the military-backed ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in
July. Morsi’s overthrow occurred following nationwide mass
protests against the leader.
Eight other people were detained elsewhere in Egypt for spraying
anti-military graffiti.
The arrests highlight Egypt’s intensified crackdown on critics of
the military since Morsi’s ouster.
Opponents of El-Sisi, who is considered to be the most powerful
man in the country, have accused him of being a murderer for
leading the military coup which sparked subsequent deadly
protests.
Earlier this week, a military court sentenced five pro-Morsi
supporters to three years in prison for chanting against the
army.
The crackdown comes despite a decree that was issued by Egypt’s
interim head of state, Adli Mansour, in August which declared
Egyptians no longer face prison for insulting the president. The
decree followed a rise in such cases during Morsi’s rule.