Arbitrary arrests began early dawn shortly after the Muslim Brotherhood chairman Dr. Mohamed Badie confirmed that the group would partake in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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Security forces rounded up MB members from the Daqahleya governorate arresting 10 leaders after breaking into their homes, cutting phone connections and smashing doors. The arrests are aimed at a large number of the group’s leaders and it is expected that state security follow a series of steps to hinder the participation of the strong political opposition.
The MB group has become accustomed to the unjust arrests seeing it as a continuation or intensification of a crackdown on dissent that has always preceded elections in Egypt.UPDATE:
Security officials have ascertained that the 10 political detainees from the MB have been arrested with charges including promoting the principles of a banned group, disturbing public security and possessing pamphlets advocating ideas which could endanger social harmony and security."
According to analysts the wave of arrests is an attempt to thwart the MB’s performance in the parliamentary elections in fear of a repeat of the group’s successes
Leaders of the ruling National Democratic Party of President Hosni Mubarak, for their part, recently issued statements that the MB would fail to secure the same number of seats that it won in previous elections.
