Islamist leader arrested in Egypt
CAIRO — Egyptian authorities on Thursday ordered a senior Islamist leader to remain in police custody for two weeks after a day of questioning by state security prosecutors over his alleged links to Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, the latest episode in the government’s crackdown on dissent ahead of next month’s presidential election.
Abdel-Monaem Abul Fetouh, 66, was arrested Wednesday night shortly after his return from a trip to London, England. On Thursday, a prosecution statement said he was ordered detained for two weeks pending completion of an investigation.
The statement said Abul Fetouh is facing accusations that he spread “false news” that could hurt Egypt’s national security and joining an outlawed organization — Egyptian parlance for the Brotherhood — which sanctions the overthrow of the government by force and endangers society.
His defence lawyers demanded that their client be taken to a hospital for a checkup after he felt a “sudden bout of exhaustion,” according to the statement, which did not say whether prosecutors agreed to the request.
Abul Fetouh is the leader of the Strong Egypt party, whose deputy, Mohammed el-Kassas, was detained about a week ago, also over alleged links to the Brotherhood. At least five senior members of his party were released early Thursday, just hours after their detention over similar accusations.
The questioning of both men is part or a wider investigation into what authorities say is a plot to resurrect the Brotherhood as well as dealings with media outlets loyal to the group.
The Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed and declared a terrorist organization shortly after the ouster by the military in 2013 of Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president and a Brotherhood stalwart.
Their detention also points to a stepped up crackdown on dissent ahead of the March 26-28 vote that is virtually certain to be won by the incumbent, general-turned-President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.
Abul Fetouh’s arrest was the latest in a series of high-profile, election-related detentions that have rocked the country ahead of the vote.