AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Agencies
Sunday

21 November 2010

8:30:00 PM
214150

1,000 Muslim Brotherhood members arrested ahead of elections

Egypt’s banned yet most popular opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood continued its cries against the government’s near constant crackdown ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary elections.

CAIRO (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Egypt’s banned yet most popular opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood continued its cries against the government’s near constant crackdown ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary elections. According to the Islamic group, some 1,000 members, including candidates to stand in the upcoming vote, have been detained in recent weeks.

The Brotherhood says this is part of the government’s attempts to curtail its popularity, adding that it is a form of voter fraud and intimidation.

“We are looking at over 250 people still in detention and others continuing to live in fear after they have been released,” said Mohamed Badr, a spokesman for the Islamic group. He said that in the past few week, over 600 Muslim Brotherhood members have been arrested by police.

“They have been arrested for trying to campaign for our candidates. It is wrong and is yet another sign that the government is scared of allowing people the freedom to vote and live their lives,” Badr added.

The group said on its website that more than 70 Islamists were arrested across the country over the past few days, including about 50 who were detained overnight in the southern Bani Suef province after clashing with police.

It is the latest crackdown by the government in recent weeks in what many argue is an attempt to silence the Islamic group ahead of a November 28 parliament vote.

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