Egyptian Authorities Reportedly Arrest Dozens of Muslim Brotherhood Members

Over 100 people in Egypt have been arrested
following the interim government declaring the Muslim Brotherhood a
terrorist organization.

According to CNN,
state-run Egyptian media outlet MENA reported that 54 members of
the Islamist political movement, which backs ousted President
Morsi, have been “charged with attacking police stations and
inciting violence.” CNN is also reporting that according to state
media outlet EgyNews, police have been instructed “to confiscate
copies of the Muslim Brotherhood’s newspaper, stop its publication
and seal off the Justice and Freedom publishing house that print
the group’s daily.”

A spokesman for the Egyptian interior minister has said that
members of the Muslim Brotherhood will receive a five-year prison
sentence.

The interim government’s decision to label the Muslim
Brotherhood a terrorist organization followed the bombing of a
police building in northern Egypt, despite the fact that the
jihadist organization Ansar
Jerusalem took credit for the attack.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has said that Secretary
of State John Kerry has expressed concern over the latest crackdown
to Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy.

Since the interim government’s decision was announced there have
been
clashes between supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and
Egyptian police. Two protesters
have reportedly been killed. The Muslim Brotherhood has
pledged to continue peaceful protests.

The interim Egyptian government has demonstrated that it is not
afraid to violently crackdown on
Morsi’s supporters. Last August, Egyptian security forces
raided protest camps in Cairo set up by pro-Morsi protesters. The
crackdown resulted in the
deaths of hundreds of people, although the Muslim Brotherhood
said that the death toll was much higher.