Egyptian police arrested 72 supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in nationwide dawn raids on Thursday as the government escalated its crackdown against the country’s main opposition movement.
The government accuses the movement of seeking to impose an Islamic state and revive its secret wing, but the Brotherhood charges the crackdown is aimed at silencing opposition to proposed constitutional amendments.
“They were arrested for belonging to an illegal organisation, and police found secret documents in their possession,” a security official told Agence France-Press (AFP) on condition of anonymity.
The latest arrests are part of a crackdown the government launched in December after students affiliated to the Brotherhood held a military style parade on the campus of al-Azhar University.
The Brotherhood’s financier and third-ranking official, Khayrat al-Shater, was among those detained, together with 29 members whose financial assets were frozen by the state last month.
“This is just the latest attempt by the regime to try to silence the Brotherhood,” the movement’s deputy supreme guide Mohammed Habib told AFP.
“The main goal is to marginalise the brotherhood and to quell any opposition to the proposed constitutional amendments,” Habib said.
In December 2006, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak proposed a series of constitutional amendments aimed at “strengthening political parties” and banning the creation of parties on a religious platform.
Observers argued the move was aimed at excluding the Brotherhood — which is officially considered an outlawed organisation — from the political game.
According to the movement, hundreds of its supporters are currently behind bars and the latest sweep brought to about 300 the number of its members detained since the start of the month.
The New York-based group Human Rights Watch (HRW) had condemned the government crackdown in a statement issued before the latest arrests.
“Egypt should release the hundreds of members of the Muslim Brotherhood detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association,” the rights watchdog said.
HRW noted that the government had ignored a court order issued last month demanding the release of Shater and several other detained Muslim Brothers.
On February 6, Mubarak ordered the transfer of their cases to a military tribunal.
“Re-arresting these men moments after their acquittal shows a complete contempt for the rule of law and shocking disrespect for the court,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East director.
“This escalation in the crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood has worrying implications for anyone who peacefully campaigns for change.”
The Muslim Brotherhood fielded candidates as independents in the 2005 legislative election and recorded its best-ever results, securing 20% of seats in Parliament, which is controlled by Mubarak’s ruling party.
Many observers argued at the time the movement might have even won had the election not been marred by widespread fraud and voter obstruction. — AFP