Egypt security forces arrest two top Brotherhood figures: Egyptian media

Iran Press TV

Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:50PM GMT

Egypt's security forces have arrested two senior Muslim Brotherhood's figures in the Giza governorate, Egyptian authorities say.

Local officials identified the detainees as Mohamed el-Beltagy and former Labor Minister Khaled Al-Azhari. The top leaders were arrested Thursday in an apartment not far from the Pyramids of Giza.

On Wednesday, el-Beltagy appeared on regional news channels in a pre-recorded video reiterating his condemnation of what he described as a military coup in the North African country.

A 17-year-old daughter of el-Beltagy was killed after Egyptian security forces stormed a protest camp on August 14 in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The senior leader has been accused of inciting violence, murder and terrorism by the military-backed interim authorities.

The government of army-appointed interim President Adly Mansour has launched a fierce crackdown on the supporters of the ousted president Mohamed Morsi and arrested many Muslim Brotherhood members, including the party’s supreme guide, Mohamed Badie, who was detained on August 20.

Several Muslim Brotherhood leaders are on trial at Egyptian courts.

Egypt has been the scene of protests against the military-backed interim government in recent weeks.

The protests erupted after the military toppled Morsi, the first-democratically elected president of Egypt. The demonstrations have turned violent on many occasions, leaving hundreds of people dead.

Nearly 1,000 people were killed in a week of violence between Morsi fans and security forces after police attacked their protest camps in a deadly operation on August 14.

The massacre sparked international condemnation and prompted world bodies to call for an independent investigation into the violence.

JR/KA