Egypt detains Muslim Brotherhood leader, 25 others
CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian authorities detained on Thursday a member of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood's politburo and 25 other members in the run-up to key elections next month, a security official said.
"Twenty-six members of the Muslim Brotherhood were detained in Cairo and Giza, including senior leader and member of the guidance bureau Mahmud Ghozlan," the official told AFP.
"Some of them, including Ghozlan, were detained on their way to register their candidacy for the (municipal) elections," the official said.
The Brotherhood say the crackdown aims to block another election success after 2005 parliamentary polls in which the group won a fifth of seats through members standing as independents.
On Wednesday, a member of the group was beaten by attackers when he tried to register his candidacy, with the Brotherhood accusing the ruling party of responsibility for the incident.
Hundreds of Brotherhood members have been detained in the run-up to the April 8 elections, including 86 on Tuesday.
Traditionally dominated by the National Democratic Party, the municipal polls are expected to draw fierce competition after a constitutional amendment was passed in 2005.
The amendment requires independent presidential candidates to secure the backing of municipal councillors.
