Cairo – A lawyer representing an Egyptian man who offered advice to future conscripts on Facebook says a military court has convicted his client for revealing defence secrets and sentenced him to six months in prison.
Gamal Eid said that 30-year-old Ahmed Bassiouni created a Facebook group to assist teenagers in navigating bureaucratic channels ahead of their military service, which is compulsory for all Egyptian males.
Eid says Bassiouni posted information he collected from the internet and newspapers, such as which documents are required for military service.
Bassiouni was arrested on November 12 and accused of revealing military secrets and publishing information without permission.
Rights groups say his trial reflects Egypt’s limitation on freedom of expression and access to information.
