At least 11 people were killed when security forces broke up several protests throughout Egypt against the military regime's designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, state media reported on Friday.
At least 11 people were killed when security forces broke up several
protests throughout
Egypt
against the military regime's designation of the Muslim Brotherhood as a
terrorist organization, state media reported on Friday.
The Freedom and Justice Party, the political party affiliated with the Muslim
Brotherhood, put the number of dead as high as 19, citing medical sources.
The demonstrations represent an uptick in street action that had declined
dramatically after security forces, backed by new laws, used increasing force
to disperse protests sympathetic toward Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted as
president by the nation's military in July.
A coalition of Islamist groups against the coup called for large demonstrations
on Friday to protest a decision by
Egypt
's
cabinet on Dec. 25 to declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization,
exposing its members and supporters to lengthy jail terms under strident
antiterrorism laws.
The move, part of an intensifying crackdown on the group from which Mr. Morsi
hailed, has been seen by rights groups and analysts as a direct assault on the
finances and grass-root support of the once powerful Brotherhood. Mr. Morsi,
along with his top deputies and the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, are
already in jail facing a wide range of criminal charges, including treason and
murder.
The designation has energized Mr. Morsi's base; last week, thousands of his
supporters took to the streets across the nation. Riot police broke up the
marches resulting in three deaths and at least 265 arrests.
Police moved in again Friday to disperse demonstrators at rallies that were
larger than last week. The state media reported 11 people had been killed in
Cairo
,
Alexandria
,
Ismalia, which is a
Suez Canal
city, and Fayoum, a city in
southern
Egypt
. At
least 52 people were injured, state media reported. In a statement, the
Interior Ministry said 122 people had been arrested.
The ministry said protesters had torched police and private vehicles and
vandalized property, prompting police to respond with tear gas and buckshot. The
cause of the deaths wasn't immediately clear, but the Muslim Brotherhood activists
said police used live gunfire.
Muslim Brotherhood activists have also called for demonstrations against a
referendum vote planned for later this month on
Egypt
's
amended draft constitution. The charter, written by a 50-member panel selected
by the military, is expected to pass after it stripped a 2012 version of
provisions favoring Islamists and cemented the privileged role of the
Egypt
's
judiciary, police and military.
The vote, scheduled for Jan. 14 and 15, is seen as a key public endorsement of
the military's "road map" that was unveiled following Mr. Morsi's
ouster. It had initially called for parliamentary elections then presidential
elections following the ratification of the constitution, but
Egypt
's
interim president, Adly Mansour, recently said the order may be reversed.
Most Islamist groups have pledged to boycott the referendum, while some
secular-minded activists have expressed opposition to the draft charter over
its retention of military trials for civilians accused of a broad range of
crimes against the military and its interests.
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Παρ, 26 Ιουλίου 2024 - 16:04
Παρ, 26 Ιουλίου 2024 - 16:02
Τετ, 24 Ιουλίου 2024 - 15:10
Τετ, 24 Ιουλίου 2024 - 15:06
Τρι, 23 Ιουλίου 2024 - 16:51