CAIRO, Jan 29 (Aswat Masriya) – An Egyptian court has sentenced on Sunday Islamist politician Hazem Salah Abu Ismail to five years in jail on violence charges in 2012. 

The TV preacher was convicted of besieging the Nasr City court. Five other defendants received a five-year sentence in the same case, while 12 were sentenced to 10 years in absentia.

The defendants were charged with inciting to besiege the Nasr City court, using force against the prosecutors. They were also convicted with preventing state employees from carrying out their duties and attempting to force the prosecutors issue a release order to a defendant.

The former presidential candidate is currently serving a seven-year sentence after he was convicted of forging official documents to conceal that his mother was a U.S. citizen.

Abu Ismail was disqualified from the 2012 presidential election race as election law stipulates that both parents for any presidential candidate must hold only Egyptian nationality.