Former presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq is hoping to have his name lifted from the list of suspects wanted upon arrival and the travel ban list at Egyptian airports. On Sunday, the court examining his request postponed the session to 15 August, state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram reported.
Shafiq, who flew to the United Arab Emirates two days after he lost the run-off presidential elections in June and has remained there since, was added to the border watch-list in late August.
Shafiq had faced accusations over illegitimate land selling and corruption in association with the sons of former president Hosni Mubarak. In 2013, the Cairo Criminal Court acquitted them from charges.
Shafiq had filed an appeal against the presidential election results which brought former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi to power in June 2012. He pledged for the forgery of electoral results.
Although less influential to the public since his leave, Shafiq has continued to be a thorn in the regime’s side. The media has been tied down not to speak to him, or about him. A media gag was imposed in the alleged elections forgery case, even though a later court verdict annulled the decision.
In October 2014, former editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm was summoned for investigations for publishing an announcement in the newspaper, promising to expose all details of the case and publish all related legal documents.
In December 2014, a copy of the local Al-Mesreyoon newspaper was censored at the printing house. According to the newspaper’s statement, a statement by the newspaper’s editor-in-chief seemed to have displeased security officials.
The editorial discussed the leaks attributed to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the relationship between Shafiq and President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, suggesting the existence of political competition between the two.
In June 2015, Shafiq appeared in an interview with TV host Abdul Reheem Ali─amid many unconfirmed claims of security interference with the broadcasting of the interview
