Another round of Islamist arrests

Islamist Wasat Party heads Essam Sultan and Abul Ela Mady were reportedly arrested on accusations of inciting violence and insulting the judiciary, security sources told the official state news website Egynews on Monday.

An arrest warrant was also allegedly issued against Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazy on charges of incitement to violence.

Sultan and Mady, both supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and deposed President Mohamed Morsi, were allegedly arrested in a building that is under construction in the eastern Cairo suburb of Moqattam.

They were reportedly in possession of nearly US$30,000 and LE80,000. The privately owned ONA News Agency — an affiliate of ONTv — reported that the two suspects are also accused of spying for Qatar and funding violent protests in Moqattam and Nahda Square.

Also on Monday, the prosecution remanded 72 defendants into custody for 15 days pending investigations into charges that they were responsible for violence and terrorist acts during clashes between pro-Morsi protesters and the police this weekend in Nasr City. The incident left at least 80 dead and hundreds injured.

The suspects are reportedly Morsi supporters who were demonstrating at Rabea al-Adaweya Mosque before allegedly attempting to block the October 6 Bridge, igniting clashes with police forces and area residents. They are also accused of breaking up the pavement on Nasr Road and using the stones to build walls to block the flow of traffic.