On Tuesday morning Sami Anan settled into the back of his chauffeured car for what was supposed to be a short drive to his office in Zamalek, an affluent Cairo neighbourhood on an island in the Nile.
The 69-year-old former general had announced days earlier that he was running for president - standing against his former comrade President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - and as the car weaved through traffic his staff were planning the next steps in their campaign.
But as they neared the entrance to the 6 October Bridge a small fleet of cars was waiting for them. Mr Anan’s driver was forced to pull over to the side of the road and in a moment they were surrounded by armed men from Egypt’s intelligence services.
Mr Anan was taken before an army prosecutor and accused of violating military law by venturing into politics. His home was raided by police hours later and his aides quickly announced they...