Egyptians arrest 3 linked to Facebook pages

CAIRO — Egyptian authorities arrested three people who administer 23 Facebook pages, accusing them of using the networking website to incite against state institutions.

The Interior Ministry on Saturday accused two men, both age 27, and a 25-yearold woman of being members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt outlawed the Brotherhood in 2013 after the military overthrew elected Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Authorities have shown public concern over calls on social media to organize protests on Jan. 25 to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising that removed longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, played a large part in organizing the Jan. 25 uprising and other protests since then.

Last month, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi warned against any such protests, saying they could result in chaos.

On Monday, prosecutors ordered a 15-day detention for four activists from the April 6 movement, which helped engineer the 2011 uprising and was outlawed last year. The four were put under investigation on suspicion of protesting without a license and belonging to a banned organization.

The arrests are taking place amid a crackdown on art spaces in downtown Cairo, an area popular among activists.

Tahrir square, the epicenter of the 2011 uprising, is also located in downtown Cairo.

Also on Monday, authorities raided the Townhouse Gallery, one of Egypt’s most popular art venues, a day before they raided Dar Merit, a publishing house where left-leaning intellectuals sometimes meet.