Egypt sentences presidential challenger to jail, hard labor

An Egyptian appeals court has upheld the February conviction of opposition politician Ahmed Altantawy, meaning that he will serve a one-year jail sentence with hard labor.

Now barred from running for office for five years, Altantawy suspended his campaign last year after claiming that state-linked groups had been blocking him from collecting signatures as well as arresting relatives and political allies — something the government denied before arresting him.

Government authorities accused him of "circulating election-related papers without official authorization."