Sources: Egyptian authorities ordered to beat and humiliate former military chief in prison

Military sources in Egypt revealed that the former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Sami Anan, was beaten inside his cell in the Military Prison.

Arabi21 website quoted unnamed sources as saying that “Anan has suffered a complete psychological breakdown, especially because the humiliation reached the extent of beatings and insults by lower ranks officers.”

The sources pointed out that “Egyptian authorities ordered that Anan leave the Military Prison to the hospital when he was in very critical mental condition and almost dead. This was so that he will be an example of other commanders who could think of opposing the system.”

The sources added that the former defence and interior ministers Sedki Sobhy and Magdy Abdel Ghaffar have been under house arrest since June.

The sources confirmed that “several weeks ago, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had issued the law of immunisation of senior commanders of the Armed Forces to quiet the fury expressed by influential commanders in the Armed Forces.”

They pointed out that “there has been a lot of changes within the Armed Forces during the past weeks overseen by the military intelligence.”

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The sources considered that “the changes have reduced the presence of commanders affiliated to Sobhy in key positions, especially for the commanders and chiefs of staff and chiefs of operations in the army. The General Secretariat of the Ministry of Defence seen significant changes with the transfer of all those affiliated to the former minister.”

According to the sources, “the promotion of the current Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki to the rank of the First Lieutenant General was a reward getting rid of those inclined to Sedki Sobhy in the ministry.”

The sources considered that “the disappearance of the two ministers confirms that there have already been measures taken against them.”

The sources revealed that “the possible changes in the Interior Ministry, which are expected to be issued in the upcoming hours, would be the largest in the history of the ministry. They are intended to end the service of commanders loyal to the former Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar.”

On Saturday, a lawyer close to Lieutenant General Sami Anan said that he needs an urgent surgery in his neck. Without the surgery, he would be at risk of being paralysed.

Two sources close to Anan’s family confirmed that he had been staying in the hospital in a life-and-death condition. He was transferred to the intensive care unit at a military hospital in Maadi District of Cairo after getting a chest infection and back problems that prevented him from moving.

Egyptian authorities arrested Anan on January 23, three days after announcing his intention to run for the recent presidential elections that were held in March.