Police continued their clampdown on the banned Muslim Brotherhood group, arresting 28 members for allegedly planning pro-Palestinian demonstrations, reports Khaled Dawoud Police on Friday arrested 28 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group for allegedly planning pro-Palestinian demonstrations for after the Friday prayers at Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque. State security prosecutors originally ordered the arrest of 30 presumed members of the Brotherhood, but could not find two of those wanted after raiding their homes early Saturday in the governorates of Cairo, Giza and Qalioubiya. The arrest warrant issued by the Interior Ministry's state security department, responsible for combating anti-government political activities, said the suspects "wanted to exploit current events [in the region] and planned to stage a demonstration after the Friday prayers at Al-Azhar Mosque, allegedly to support the Palestinian cause and to criticise the government's policy in handling that issue". State security added that the suspects also had in their possession leaflets that lashed out at the government, "claiming that its policies were responsible for unemployment and economic stagnation". The suspects allegedly raised funds to support the Palestinian cause "while the money was actually used to support the banned group and revive its activities", state security added. All detainees denied the charges, but state security prosecutors late Saturday ordered their imprisonment for 15 days. They were officially charged with joining a banned group, possessing books and publications that promote the group's ideas which they intended to distribute. Adel Abdel-Maqsoud, a lawyer who attended the interrogations of the arrested individuals, told Al- Ahram Weekly that he was "astonished" by the arrests. "Even if we assume that they [the detainees] were planning to stage a pro-Palestinian demonstration, what is wrong with that?" Abdel- Maqsoud said. He added, "All political groups in the country have been active in staging demonstrations since the Intifada began two years ago, and more protests have been held since the Israeli attacks [in late March]." Abdel-Maqsoud also pointed out that "whenever Brotherhood members participated in a demonstration, they were usually very disciplined, and never sought to go out to the streets or seek a confrontation with the police." Sources in the Brotherhood described those arrested on Friday as being "mid-ranking members in the group, who do not assume leading positions". Essam El-Eryan, a former member of parliament who spent five years in prison after he was convicted for being a member of the banned group in 1995, said that "it seems that the government no longer wants to see pro-Palestinian demonstrations". He added that Friday's clampdown "should be seen in the framework of the current atmosphere aimed at reviving peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians". The arrest of the Brotherhood members came shortly after a major confrontation between the government and the banned group at the Mediterranean city of Alexandria a few weeks ago. At least 150 presumed members of the group were arrested for taking part in riots while supporting two Muslim Brotherhood candidates running for parliamentary elections against members of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP). Thousands of policemen surrounded nearly every polling station in Al-Raml district in Alexandria where voting was taking place, and Brotherhood supporters alleged they were not allowed to cast their ballots. Another group of 22 leading Brotherhood members, including Mahmoud Ghozlan, who is described as the third figure in the group's leadership, are also awaiting sentences by a military court on 30 July. They were arrested earlier this year and immediately referred to a military tribunal. Most of that group were professors and they were charged with encouraging students to hold anti-government demonstrations. "All in all, there are 230 Brotherhood figures who are now in prison in a variety of cases, but the majority are from Alexandria," Abdel-Maqsoud said. The Muslim Brotherhood is Egypt's largest political Islamist group. In the country's last parliamentary elections, held in 2000, it achieved a stunning showing compared to recent years and to opposition parties, with its independent candidates winning 17 seats.
