Egypt's State Information Service (SIS) issued a press release on Thursday criticising the coverage of some foreign media outlets of Lt. General Sami Anan's recent exclusion from the country's upcoming presidential race. Anan was removed on Tuesday from the voter registry for the elections because he is still a member of the Armed Forces, whose personnel are barred from political activity. Anan is also currently under investigation by the military for breaching the laws of military service by running for office before ending his service and without seeking the army's permission. The SIS accused the unnamed foreign media outlets of failing to cite official sources, namely the National Elections Authority (NEA), in their coverage. "The coverage was marked by absolute disregard for relevant facts, the most significant of which is the legal characterisation of the status of recalled Lieutenant General Sami Anan in accordance with the laws and decisions regulating the affairs of the Armed Forces," the SIS statement said. The SIS also criticised the use of the word “detention” in reference to Anan's case, asserting that "detention is non-existent in Egyptian legislation and was abolished by the Supreme Constitutional Court in 2011.” "In such cases, procedural matters are always governed by the criminal procedures laws," the SIS statement said. The SIS also slammed the foreign media outlets for "jumping to political conclusions regarding the conduct of the presidential elections," as well as fabricating and exaggerating some incidents. The statement also condemned the foreign coverage for linking Anan's case with other candidates who voluntarily withdrew their candidacy for different reasons.
