CAIRO: Authorities detained 29 members from the Muslim Brotherhood on Sunday in Alexandria during a demonstration against the current violence in Gaza, Mahmoud Ezzat, secretary general of the Muslim Brotherhood told Daily News Egypt.
Other media reports, however, claimed that security forces had arrested the members of the Islamist group in dawn raids on their homes. Among those taken was Ibrahim Zaafarani, secretary general of Alexandria’s Medical Union, a source said.
“They are accused of belonging to an illegal organization, the source told AFP, adding that, “it’s part of the arrests before the municipal elections. Traditionally, controlled by the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP), the municipal polls are now expected to draw fierce competition after a constitutional amendment was passed in 2005. The amendment requires independent presidential candidates to also secure the backing of municipal council members.
It stipulates that candidates who do not belong to an official party must gather signatures from 250 elected officials, including 65 from parliament’s lower house, 25 from the upper house and from 10 municipal council members.
The municipal elections were postponed for two years in 2006, in what observers say was a way of avoiding another Muslim Brotherhood election success following the Islamist group’s shock win in the 2005 legislative polls.
The arrests coincided with another sweep reported in Al-Masry Al-Youm, whereby 10 Imams of mosques in various districts in Cairo were charged with making inflammatory political speeches accusing the current regime of being infidels as well as calling for the fall of the president.
The arrests began on Dec. 12, 2007, the newspaper claimed.
Hafez Abu Seada, director of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR), confirmed the report.
He told Daily News Egypt that the arrest of these preachers did take place and that the EOHR is now following the incident.
The Ministry of Interior has, however, denied the incident, adding that if it did take place, it would be handled by national security investigators.
The Ministry of Religious Endowment was not available for comment. -With agencies.
