Muslim Brotherhood movement logo
Egypt police detain 51 Brotherhood members
Men suspected of 'belonging to a banned organization' rounded up during dawn raids in several provinces; security source says some of the detainees had been cleared to run in next week's local elections by the courts
CAIRO - Police detained 51 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful opposition group, in dawn raids in several provinces on Thursday, security sources said.
The Brotherhood, which seeks an Islamic state through non-violent and democratic means, confirmed the arrests on its website and said they had occurred in six provinces.
A security source said some of the detainees had been cleared to run in next week's local elections by the courts.
Police rounded up the men on suspicion of "belonging to a banned organization", the source said.
Police detained 247 of the Brotherhood in sweeps on Tuesday and Wednesday in several provinces after protests by several thousand Brotherhood members against government efforts to stop the group from running in the elections.
Eleven Brotherhood members were injured in the protests when police used rubber bullets, tear gas and batons.
'Shameless bid to fix the elections'
In the past few weeks, Egyptian courts have issued hundreds of rulings obliging the government to accept the candidacy of members of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood says authorities have ignored these rulings.
The courts then issued scores of rulings ordering a halt to the elections in a number of provinces because of the authorities' refusal to comply. There is no indication those rulings will be implemented.
US-based Human Rights Watch has called the arrests a "shameless bid" to fix the elections in which the Brotherhood is running against the ruling National Democratic Party.
The Interior Ministry has repeatedly declined to comment.
Seats on local councils could be important for the Brotherhood on a national level if it wants to field an independent candidate in a future presidential election.
Independent candidates for the presidency need endorsements from 140 members of local councils as well as support from members of both houses of parliament.
The government says the Muslim Brotherhood is a banned organization but the group operates openly and holds a fifth of the seats in the lower house of parliament through members elected as independents.
