Aly Sabry; Former Egypt Official Jailed by Sadat for Coup Attempt
CAIRO, Egypt — Former Vice President Aly Sabry, who served 10 years in prison for leading a 1971 attempt to topple then-President Anwar Sadat, died Saturday at a Cairo hospital. He was 71.
The Specialists Hospital said Sabry died early Saturday of internal bleeding. He had been hospitalized after suffering a blood clot in his left lung, the hospital said.
In 1971, Sadat arrested Sabry and a number of top aides of Sadat’s predecessor, Gamal Abdul Nasser, on charges of plotting to overthrow him. Six of the arrested were members of Sadat’s government.
Sabry was convicted and sentenced to death by a military tribunal, but Sadat commuted the sentence to life imprisonment. After spending 10 years in prison, he was ordered released by Sadat because of poor health.
Sabry was an Air Force officer when Nasser staged his military coup that overthrew King Farouk in 1952.
Sabry was director of Nasser’s political affairs office and head of the executive committee of the ruling Arab Socialist, Egypt’s sole political organization at the time. Sadat disbanded the committee and allowed a multiparty system.
When Sadat came to power in 1970 upon Nasser’s death of a heart attack, he appointed Sabry a vice president.
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