By AFP
CAIRO: An Egyptian military court on Tuesday sentenced an officer who took part in anti-military protests to six years in jail, an official newspaper reported.
Major Ahmed Shuman was convicted of “behavior violating discipline and military regulations” and failing to turn up for duty because he was taking part in protests, Al-Ahram reported on its website.
The officer had been jailed for joining the widespread protests that ousted president Hosni Mubarak last year but was pardoned by military ruler Field Marshal Tantawi, who took charge of Egypt after Mubarak’s overthrow.
He was re-arrested for taking part in bloody protests in November 2011 aimed at forcing the military to hand over power immediately to a civilian government, Al-Ahram reported.
The military has cracked down on other dissident officers after several of them posted videos on YouTube attacking the ruling army council and staged a sit-in in April 2011.
The officers in that protest were arrested and jailed.
Tantawi’s military council says it will hand over power to a president in June, after the results of a presidential election are announced.
