The Muslim Brotherhood member accused of firing at demonstrators at the Islamist group's headquarters in Moqattam has defended his actions, telling prosecutors Monday that he was protecting the building and the 50 people besieged inside.
The defendant, who showed bruises on different parts of his body, said demonstrators stormed the building and beat him.
Prosecutors are also questioning four other Brotherhood members who were arrested for possession of firearms in Moqattam.
Clashes had erupted on Sunday evening outside the Brotherhood headquarters in Moqattam between anti-regime demonstrators, who threw Molotov cocktails at the building, and Muslim Brotherhood members, who fired at them from inside the building.
It is not clear who fired the first shot.
The clashes left 8 people dead and around 70 others wounded, the health ministry said earlier on Monday.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
