Egypt: Election boycotters trying to 'overthrow the regime'

CAIRO – Egypt's prosecutor general has launched an investigation into a dozen leading opposition figures who have called for a boycott of the upcoming presidential election, over accusations they are attempting to "overthrow the regime."

Nabil Sadeq's office in a statement late Monday said it had referred a complaint filed by a lawyer to the Giza prosecutor's office.

The file charges that the group, which includes former presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahi, conspired to destabilize the country last month when they called for boycotting the election.

The boycotters call the election a farce after a string of would-be candidates were arrested, forced out or quit in protest. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi now faces only an obscure politician who stepped forward at the last minute to enter the race as a face-saver for the government.