Prominent Egyptian dissident, Abdel Fattah, arrested 6 months after release

Authorities in Egypt have arrested a prominent government critic, identified as Alaa Abdel Fattah for spreading inciteful comments which sparked an unrest.

He was arrested on Sunday.

Reports say Mr Abdel Fattah was arrested over allegations of publishing false news and inciting people to protest.

Alaa Abdel Fattah was freed in March after serving a five-year sentence for organising a protest without permission.

His arrest follows reports by human rights group that Egyptian authorities have reportedly nabbed no less than 2,000 protesters as demonstrations broke out in several cities last week calling on President el-Sisi to resign.

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Security forces have detained several prominent Egyptian intellectuals and public figures, including Hassan Nafaa, a political science professor at Cairo University and well-known columnist.

Critics say the crackdown reflects the government’s insecurity and vulnerability at a critical time as Egypt’s economic woes intensify for the poor and middle class.

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