28 Islamists Detained in Northwestern Egypt
Egyptian police detained 28 members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood movement in the northwestern coastal town of Marsa Matrouh on Saturday, police and Brotherhood sources told Reuters. The police said the Islamists, 24 from Marsa Matrouh province and four from the coastal city of Alexandria, were attending an organizational meeting. The Brotherhood said police took them from their homes at dawn.
The government calls the Brotherhood an illegal organization, but allows it to operate openly within limits. The movement has held about a fifth of the seats in parliament since 2005. The police often detain Brotherhood members and hold them for long periods before freeing them without charges. The Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition group, says about 171 members are now in detention.
Ahmad Aljoaan
