Egypt judge slaps travel ban on prominent rights lawyer

CAIRO – An Egyptian judge has slapped a travel ban on a former presidential candidate and rights lawyer over an ongoing investigation into funding for civil society groups.

Investigating Judge Hisham Abdel Meguid issued the ban Saturday, the latest in a series of similar steps targeting rights lawyers critical of the government of general-turned-president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, which has placed draconian restrictions on the work of rights and pro-democracy groups.

Khaled Ali unsuccessfully ran in the 2012 presidential election won by an Islamist, Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted a year later by the military, then led by el-Sissi.

Ali declared his intention to run in presidential elections earlier this year, but he quit the race in the face of intimidation and harassment of his supporters.

Running virtually unchallenged, el-Sissi comfortably won the vote.