CAIRO: Egyptian security forces have detained eight more members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood in the central city of Al-Minya, the Islamist movement s spokesman told AFP on Tuesday. Eight members of the Brotherhood were arrested in Al-Minya, one of whom is the son of a Brotherhood member of parliament, said Essam Al-Aryan. It is clear that this is a reaction to the Brotherhood s activities in parliament which cause embarrassment to the government, said Aryan. The Islamist movement, which is officially banned in Egypt, fielded candidates as independents in the country s November parliamentary elections and currently holds 88 out of 454 seats in the People s Assembly. The fresh wave of arrests comes just days after security forces arrested 10 Brotherhood supporters in the northern city of Alexandria and brought to 45 the total number of those currently behind bars. Al-Aryan said that the presence of the Islamist bloc in parliament and its aggressive challenge to the government had rejuvenated the People s Assembly. He accused the government of backtracking on its promises of reform. It s the first time the government feels that the assembly wants to exercise its legislative rights, and this worries them, he said. AFP
Eight more Islamists detained in central Egypt
