afrol News, 28 August - Egyptian police have arrested 21 members of Egypt's main opposition, Muslim Brotherhood in the Nile Delta, for holding an illegal gathering, security official said.

According to a statement posted today on the group's Web site, men were arrested on Wednesday night at a home of Sayed Abdel Hamid, a Brotherhood leader and former parliamentarian.

"The 21 men were detained in Sharqiya province at the home of a former MP and group leader," the official said, requesting anonymity.

Security sources said the men were suspected of membership of an illegal organisation, holding a meeting and spreading Brotherhood's ideology after having been found in possession of literature of a banned organisation.

Police have arrested about 40 members of group in separate raids this month, a Brotherhood official also said.

Brotherhood is Egypt's largest opposition group. Though officially banned, members have run for political office as independents, and they currently hold about a fifth of the seats in Egypt's parliament.

Egyptian government has carried out a steady campaign of arrests against the group, with more than 800 members detained so far this year.

Created in 1928, Muslim Brotherhood was officially banned in Egypt in 1954 but is relatively tolerated. In July, dozens of Islamists were rounded up in the Nile Delta ahead of a by-election, which was won by ruling National Democratic Party of President Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt has for many years been critised by local and international human rights organisations for poor human rights record. In 2005, President Mubarak faced unprecedented public criticism when he clamped down on democracy activists challenging his rule.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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