Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood names new leader after Badie's arrest
Following arrest of Mohamed Badie, Muslim Brotherhood announces Mahmoud Ezzat, professional doctor, as his temporary replacement
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
officially announced on Tuesday that the deputy to the movement's leader, Mahmoud Ezzat, will temporarily serve as the organization's spiritual leader. The announcement followed the arrest of the movement's leader Mohamed Badie overnight Tuesday.
Ezzat, a doctor by profession, was born in Cairo in 1944. He was arrested several times by Egyptian authorities, including once when protesting against Operation Cast Lead in 2008. He was elected to serve as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood's Guidance Office in 1981.
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Egyptian sources said that Badie was hiding in Nasr City, a district of Cairo, the stronghold of ousted President Mohamed Morsi supporters. Badie's son was killed this week in clashes between the Muslim Brotherhood and the army.
Badie's arrest by Egyptian authorities
The Interior Ministry's Facebook page showed a picture of Badie, with dark rings under his eyes, sitting in a car between two men in black body armor, with a caption confirming his arrest.
"Carrying out the decisions of the public prosecutor to arrest and bring forward the 'general guide' of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Badie, and through collected information and observation of movements, it was possible for the criminal search apparatus under the direction of Cairo's security (services) to arrest him," according to the caption.
Badie was charged in July with inciting the murder of protesters. Together with his two deputies, he is due to stand trial on Aug. 25.
Reuters contributed to this report
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