Rights group sees retaliation as the motive for jailing an Egyptian presidential challenger

CAIRO (AP) — A leading human rights group has dismissed the conviction of a prominent Egyptian political activist as an act of retaliation for his decision to challenge President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in last year’s election. On Tuesday a Cairo court sentenced former presidential hopeful Ahmed Altantawy, along with 22 of his aides, to one year in prison on grounds of disseminating unauthorized endorsement forms for his candidacy. Human Rights Watch has issued a statement urging authorities to drop all charges. More than 120 members of Altantawy’s presidential campaign have been arrested since last year, according to a local advocacy group.