Egypt: Detention of top Muslim Brotherhood leaders follows consecutive waves of arrests across Egypt

Egypt: Detention of top Muslim Brotherhood leaders follows consecutive waves of arrests across Egypt

 

Alkarama has been informed that 15 leaders of the Egyptian opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, were arrested in the early hours of Monday 8 February 2010. Coordinated efforts by the State Security forces swept through Cairo, Giza, Al-Sharqiya, Al-Daqhliya and Al-Gharbiya. In the two weeks prior to this most recent incident, arrests also took place separately in Al-Bahira, Fayoum and northern Sinai.

Key figures of Muslim Brotherhood arrested

Amongst those arrested are three chief figures of the Muslim Brotherhood: Dr Mahmoud Ezzat, former Secretary General of the Muslim Brotherhood and now a member of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Office ; Dr Esam Al-Aryan, spokesperson of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Director of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Political Office in Egypt; and Dr Abdulrahman Al-Barr, Professor of Hadith at Al-Azhar University. The following individuals were also arrested, alongside these:

Prof Ahmad Abbas, Dr Mohamed Saad Aliwa, Dr Mohamed Abdelghani, Mr Walid Shibl, Dr Ehab Ibrahim, Dr Ali Abdulrahim, Mr Khalaf Thabeth Haridi, Prof Ibrahim Sayed, Prof Ahmad Abdulati, Prof Mustafa Al-Sharabatli, Prof Mosaad Kotb and Mohamed Al-Dasouki

Muslim Brotherhood members arrested in Fayoum

Twenty one members of the Muslim Brotherhood were also arrested in several raids throughout Egypt over the weekend. On Sunday 7 February 2009, security forces in the Etsa Centre in Fayoum raided a mosque arresting 16, while a further 5 individuals were detained at their homes. Their names are as follows:

Abdulrahman Abdulhafez, Mohammed Amin Hussein, Mohamed Al-Sayed Abdulrahim, Nasser Okasha, Mohammed Nasser Okasha, Mahmoud Bahnassawi, Anwar Shaabane Mursi, Mohamed Fathi Mahmoud, Jamal Ali Abdulwahab, Nasser Hassan Abdulsattar, Sameh Mohamed Mahmoud, Ahmed Mohamed Mahmoud, Ahmed Ali Hafez, Abdulhafez Salama Abdulhafez, Mohammed Sayed Abbas, Mohamed Mahdali, Mahmoud Abduljawad, Rabii Abdulsalam, Nafei Sayed Abdelsalam, Ahmed Ali Hakim, Mohamed Hassan Abdelkhalek

Eight arrested in Al-Bahira

In the early hours of 4 February 2010 State Security Investigative forces with the help of the Al-Bahira General Investigative Prosecution raided the homes of 8 individuals in Kom Al-Hamada, Al-Bahira governorate, arresting them on the spot.

Their names are as follows:

Ayman Hassan Gharbli, Shawki Othman Al-Wajeeh, Adel Al-Sheikh Yusuf, Mohamed Hussein Ghallab, Hamid Abdulazeem Badawi, Saad Mursi Salem, Walid Ibrahim Ammar, Muhammad Hamza Anuz

Three people arrested during raid in northern Sinai

Mohamed Al-Said Khodr, 50, Yahya Akeel Suleiman, 38 and Suleiman Mohamed Saleh, 45 were arrested at their homes on 28 January 2010 by State Security in Bir Al-Abd, northern Sinai. They are accused of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Elections in November 2010

Alkarama fears that these recent arrests signal the beginning of a new wave of arrests similar to those seen over the summer of 2009. Local lawyers and NGOs believe that these arrests are aimed at disturbing any plans by these individuals, all of whom are influential and well respected members of Egyptian society, to run in elections planned for November 2010. Indeed, many of those arrested recently stated their desire to run for office in the upcoming elections. All are accused of belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned organisation in Egypt since 1954 – Alkarama fears they could face a military tribunal.

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