Sami Sharaf (20 April 1929 – 23 January 2023) was an Egyptian military officer who held various posts during the presidency of
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-r ...
. His public roles ended in May 1971 when he was arrested and then imprisoned by the Egyptian authorities in the period of
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...
.
Early life and education
Sharaf was born in
Heliopolis, Cairo
Heliopolis ( arz, مصر الجديده, ', , "New Egypt") was a suburb outside Cairo, Egypt, which has since merged with Cairo as a district of the city and is one of the more affluent areas of Cairo. Named for the ancient Egyptian city ...
on 20 April 1929.
His father was a physician.
[ He graduated from the Military Academy in February 1949.][ One of his teachers at the academy was Gamal Abdel Nasser.][
]
Career and activities
Following his graduation Sharaf joined the army.[ In January 1953 he was arrested in the artillery crackdown and jailed.][ After he was freed, he began to work in the military intelligence unit.][
Sharaf was the head of the Presidential Office. On 28 September 1961, he was named as the state minister for presidential affairs.][ He was a member of the ]Arab Socialist Union
The Arab Socialist Union may refer to:
*Arab Socialist Union (Egypt), active 1962–78
*Arab Socialist Union (Iraq), active 1964–68
* Libyan Arab Socialist Union, active 1971−77
* Arab Socialist Union Party (Syria), founded in 1973
*Democratic ...
and was part of its secret unit, the Socialist Vanguard (Arabic: al-Tanzim al-Tali‘i), which was also called the Vanguard Organization.[ and was headed by Sharaf and ]Sharawi Gomaa
Sharawi Gomaa (1920–1988) was an Egyptian military officer who served in various posts, including governor of Suez, deputy prime minister and minister of interior, during the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser. He was part of the May Group who we ...
. As of 1971 Sharaf was one of the Vanguard secretariat's ten members.
Sharaf served as the minister of state until 13 May 1971 when he resigned.[ Shortly after his resignation he was arrested due to his alleged involvement in a planned coup to overthrow Anwar Sadat.][ He was sentenced to death, but in December 1971 his sentence was reduced to life imprisonment.][ Sharaf was among the cofounders of the ]Arab Democratic Nasserist Party
The Arab Democratic Nasserist Party ( ar, الحزب العربي الديمقراطي الناصري, al-Hizb al-'Arabi al-Dimuqrati al-Nasseri) is a Nasserist political party in Egypt, styling itself as the ideological successor of the old Arab ...
, but later he left it.Ashraf Marwan
Ashraf Marwan ( ar, أشرف مروان, 2 February 1944 – 27 June 2007) was an Egyptian billionaire, who worked as a spy for Israeli Mossad.
Egyptian officials claim he was a double agent who also worked for them.
From 1969, Marwan w ...
who was the son-in-law of Nasser and an intelligence officer working under Sharaf, was given the task of coordinating the intelligence affairs.[ Sharaf published a book on his memoirs, ''Sanawat wa ayam ma‘ Jamal ‘Abd al Nasir: Shahadat Sami Sharaf'', in 2006.
]
Personal life and death
Sharaf was married and had four children.[ He died on 23 January 2023 at the age of 93.]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharaf, Sami
1929 births
2023 deaths
Government ministers of Egypt
Egyptian prisoners sentenced to death
Egyptian Military Academy alumni
Egyptian political party founders
Arab Socialist Union (Egypt) politicians
Egyptian anti-communists
People from Cairo Governorate
Egyptian spies
Egyptian military officers
Egyptian prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
Politicians from Cairo