CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian actor known for his criticism of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's government says a military court has sentenced him in absentia to eight years in prison in two separate cases.

Amr Waked, a 45-year-old actor living in Spain, said on Thursday his lawyer told him he was convicted of "disseminating false news and insulting state institutions."

The lawyer, Malek Adly, says he's asking authorities for more details.

Waked, who has been residing in Barcelona since October 2017, says he has no knowledge of what the cases against him are about. He says he cannot return to Egypt.

He is a U.N. goodwill ambassador and is internationally known for his role in the 2005 thriller "Syriana."

Egypt has waged a wide crackdown on dissent and the media, jailing thousands of people.