Egypt arrests 73 Brotherhood members

By Heba Saleh in Cairo
Published: February 15 2007 20:08 | Last updated: February 15 2007 20:08

It surprised the Egyptian authorities in 2005 by capturing twenty percent of the seats in parliament.

But in recent weeks, Egypt president Hosni Mubarak described the organisation as a threat to national security, and the authorities appear determined to prevent it from building on its gains in the parliamentary poll.

Those arrested on Thursday include three former Brotherhood parliamentary candidates and at least four office managers who work for independent deputies representing the group in the assembly.

Almost three hundred members of the Brotherhood have been held since the latest wave of arrests started in December.

Earlier this month, the authorities referred the cases of forty Brotherhood members to a military court – a move seen as an escalation of the continuing campaign against the organisation.

They include senior leaders and businessman who face accusations of money laundering. The assets of some 29 people linked to the Brotherhood have been frozen.