(AFP Photo\ Stringer)
Police arrested 31 protesters Sunday night following clashes in front of the Muslim Brotherhood’s main headquarters in Moqattam.
The public prosecution has already ordered the detention on remand of 15 people it charged with firing shotgun rounds at and injuring three policemen.
The remaining 16, also charged with attacking the police, are currently being interrogated, Egyptian Centre for Economic and Social Rights lawyer Malek Adly told Daily News Egypt.
On Saturday another 15 were arrested after the initial clashes in front of the Brotherhood’s headquarters. Prosecutors questioned them on charges of vandalism and attacking the Brotherhood’s headquarters on Sunday.
Attorney General Tarek Abu Zeid of the Southern Cairo Prosecution also ordered the arrest of three of Muslim Brotherhood members. Their names are Sohaib Mohamed Imam, Mostafa Al-Saadawy, and Ahmed Abu Raya.
The three men are accused of assaulting journalists in front of the Brotherhood’s headquarters on Saturday. Newly-elected Press Syndicate Chairman Diaa Rashwan had submitted a complaint to the prosecution regarding the incident on Sunday.
The Al-Dostour Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), and the National Council for Women (NCW) all released statements condemning the attacks and arrests.
“The Al-Dostour Party condemns the excessive use of force on the part of security forces when dealing with peaceful demonstrators and protesters. We also renew our calls for the removal of Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim,” a statement released by the party read.
The statement questioned why the police had arrested over 30 people and displayed a strong commitment to protecting the headquarters of a “political group that enjoys no legal status and is not subject to any form of oversight”.
The party also welcomed the arrest warrant issued for three Brotherhood members but also demanded the arrest and questioning of those who gave these men their orders.
The ESDP’s statement was similar in nature and also called for the release of all detainees while the NCW statement particularly condemned the assault of female activist Mervat Moussa at the hands of Brotherhood members on Saturday.
Citizen journalism group Shayfeencom also condemned the attacks: “We, as a public movement, that has no political affiliation, demand the end of human rights violations and increasing corruption in the Ministry of Interior, to consider the human rights declarations signed by Egypt, which should force the state to protect its citizens and their rights, as these violations will not go unnoticed by human rights organisations in Egypt for long, and will eventually lead to international community escalation.”
Central Security Forces attacked a protest in front of the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Moqattam on Sunday night, charging the crowd with armoured vehicles, launching teargas canisters and firing birdshot rounds at protesters.
The demonstrators, whom were protesting another attack on protesters, graffiti artists, and journalists at the same site by Muslim Brotherhood members on Saturday, originally numbered at around 300 but their numbers greatly increased following the police attack.
Dozens were arrested, including two journalists, but some have been released from custody. A reported 31 people are still detained, in addition to the 15 people who were arrested on Saturday night.
