High-ranking Brotherhood figures arrested

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie was arrested in the northwestern town of Marsa Matrouh on Thursday, reported the privately-owned daily Al-Shorouk. The alleged arrest comes the day after the Armed Forces announced that Islamist President Mohamed Morsi was no longer in power.

Earlier today the prosecution issued an arrest warrant for Badie and Deputy Supreme Guide Kairat al-Shater on charges of inciting the killing of protesters outside the Brotherhood’s headquarters in Cairo earlier this week, reported the state-run newspaper Al-Ahram.

Badie and Shater are accused of “directly inciting” their followers to kill eight protesters during demonstrations against Morsi in Moqattam, according to police investigations and witnesses at the scene, alleged Al-Ahram.

Mohamed Mahdi Akef, former supreme guide of the group, was also reported to be arrested along with four of his guards after police allegedly found weapons with them. An arrest warrant was taken out on the five individuals on several charges, including inciting manslaughter in recent clashes, the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm reported, citing an unidentified security official.