45 more days in prison for high-profile MB leaders

The Cairo Criminal Court once again slapped 45 days more detention on four high-level Muslim Brotherhood leaders on Thursday, reported the state-owned Middle East News Agency (MENA).

Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud, Freedom and Justice Party member Helmy al-Gazzar, Wasat Party head Abul Ela Mady and former MP Mohamed al-Omda face charges of inciting violence in the Been al-Sarayat clashes that claimed 23 lives in early July.

The defendants are also accused of attempted murder, encouraging illegal arms possession, inciting thuggery and forming a gang with the intent to commit violent acts.

The Cairo Criminal Court also extended the detention of Wasat Party vice president Essam Sultan for 45 more days pending investigations into his alleged involvement in committing acts of torture at the Rabea al-Adaweya sit-in.

Sultan had been released from detention pending investigations into the charges on Wednesday, but the prosecution successfully appealed his release on Thursday.

All the conditions for Sultan’s administrative detention are still in place, the prosecution argued in its appeal, and investigations are ongoing to mount a body of evidence against him.

Two Muslim Brotherhood members were arrested in Fayoum on Thursday. They were accused of attempting to burn two police trucks on two different occasions, MENA reported.

Five Brotherhood members were also arrested in Sharqiya after supporters of the deposed Islamist group chanted against the military and the police in front of a court building, sparking clashes with area residents.

The residents began chanting slogans against the Brotherhood, escalating the conflict.

The defendants are charged with rioting and protesting without notifying the police forces in advance, according to the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram.