Politician and poet Abdel-Rahman Youssef has been sentenced in absentia by a Cairo court on Monday to three years in prison on charges of "spreading false news" after criticising the president.
Youssef, who is known for his support for the 2011 revolution which ousted Hosni Mubarak, reportedly criticised President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi during an interview with Al-Watan channel.
He is also the son of exiled cleric Youssef El-Qaradawi, who is a staunch supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood. Youssef however has frequently criticised both his father and the Brotherhood group, now outlawed, in recent years.
Youssef is currently out of the country.
Several political, media figures and journalists have been arrested and sentenced over the past several years on charges of spreading false news.
