Egypt’s largest opposition movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, said today that nine of their members have been detained by police over the last two days.
A police raid early Monday in the Badrashin district of 6th October Governorate led to the detention of three members, including an official in the Guidance Bureau, the group’s highest executive authority, Brotherhood sources said.
The sources added that another police raid in the Nile Delta's Sharqiya Governorate on Sunday saw the arrest of six members, including another Guidance Bureau figure.
Analysts link the recent arrests to the group’s declaration of its intention to stage popular protests over recent parliamentary polls in the country. The Brotherhood claims the vote was manipulated in favor of eliminating Brotherhood candidates and does not reflect the will of the population or the authentic degree of opposition power.
Last week, Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie said the organization aims to adopt peaceful means of protest against the newly-elected parliament.
The Muslim Brotherhood failed to win a single seat in the poll, forcing it to withdraw its candidates from the run-offs in protest over alleged vote rigging.
During the previous parliamentary elections in 2005, the group seized 88 seats, enabling them to level criticism toward ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) policies.
The NDP secured 420 of 508 contestable seats in the poll.
