Egyptian authorities arrest 22 more Muslim Brotherhood members ahead of local elections

By Pakinam Amer
Associated Press Writer
First Published: 11 Mar., 2008 12:37

Cairo - Police on Tuesday arrested 22 more members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement in an ongoing crackdown on Egypt's largest Islamic opposition group ahead of April local elections, a security official and the group said.

The arrests took place during separate raids in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, its twin city of Giza, in the northern coastal city of Alexandria, as well as in the towns of Beheira, Menoufia and Assiut, the official said.

He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to release the information.

Most suspects were taken from their homes after dawn, according to the Brotherhood's official Web site.

The arrested include businessmen and senior Brotherhood leaders who were planning to run in the April 8 polling for 4,500 municipal councils that manage local utilities and resources in Egypt.

The latest arrests bring to about 750 the total number of Brotherhood members rounded-up by authorities since the date of the elections was announced in mid February.

So far only 60 of the group's 10,000 members have succeeded in getting their candidacies registered for the elections, which are usually dominated by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party.

The Brotherhood, which has the largest opposition bloc in parliament, has vowed to take part in the elections despite the crackdown. The group has been banned since 1954, but the government has not completely shut down the Brotherhood's activities.

Authorities have prevented the Brotherhood from forming a political party, so its members run as independents in local and national elections. The deadline for registration is Thursday.