Egypt releases author, publisher held over book on economy

CAIRO – Egypt has released an economist and his publisher more than a week after their arrest over a book that challenged President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi’s economic policies.

Abdel-Khaleq Farouq said Tuesday that a court ordered him and the publisher, Ibrahim el-Khateib, to be released pending an investigation into accusations of publishing “fake news.”

The two were detained on Oct. 21.

The book contends that el-Sissi lacks a vision for remedying Egypt’s economic woes, which Farouq blames on the military’s monopoly of power since 1952.

Egypt has waged a sweeping crackdown on dissent since 2013, when el-Sissi led the military overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president.