Security forces crack down on MB members ahead of referendum

Madamasr.com

Security forces launched a crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood members on Monday, accusing them of plotting to obstruct voting in the constitutional referendum scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fourteen people affiliated with the Brotherhood were arrested in Sharqiya on charges of belonging to a banned terrorist organization, reported the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram.

The detainees were also accused of planning to incite violence during the referendum to "terrorize citizens and prevent them from participation in the voting process,” Al-Ahram said.

One unnamed citizen was arrested in Qalyubia’s Qanater district on Monday on charges of possessing 14 bombs, four explosive devices, five machine guns and rounds of live ammunition, Al-Ahram reported. Large amounts of cash were also confiscated during the arrest.

The defendant was reportedly taken to "sovereign security bodies" for investigations to identify the group that was financing him. Previous investigations allegedly indicated that the individual had been plotting terrorist attacks to take place on Tuesday in collaboration with unknown assailants.

Another suspect was also arrested in Alexandria for allegedly planning to carryout a terrorist suicide bombing, the privately owned daily Al-Masry Al-Youm (AMAY) reported, quoting the Ministry of Interior.

Security forces raided a home in Alexandria’s Amreya district after hearing a strong explosion. Police forces said explosives, chemicals, uniforms similar to those of the Armed Forces and books authored by Muslim Brotherhood scholars were confiscated during the raid, AMAY reported.

Meanwhile, a "security campaign" in Alexandria arrested nine members of the former ruling Islamist organization, again accusing the suspects of belonging to a terrorist organization, reported the state-owned Middle East News Agency (MENA).

MENA also reported that five students allegedly belonging to the Brotherhood in the northern city of Benha were arrested after residents accused them of using Molotov cocktails to threaten residents and "terrorize" them out of voting in the referendum.

The defendants allegedly organized a march denouncing the draft constitution and tore down posters urging a “yes” vote on the charter. Five Molotov cocktails, two unlicensed motorcycles and other pieces of evidence were confiscated during a security raid that led to the suspects’ arrest.

In the southern city of Minya, 11 Brotherhood members were arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe citizens to vote “no” on the constitution, MENA reported.

The defendants were allegedly offering Minya residents money in exchange for their ID cards, so that they could use them to cast fraudulent “no” votes, security sources claimed.

The National Alliance to Protect Legitimacy, an umbrella group headed by the Muslim Brotherhood in opposition to the military-backed interim government, reiterated its call for a boycott on the referendum.

In an official statement, the alliance said that "the bloody referendum" collapsed during the expatriate voting process, referring to the low turnout among Egyptians voting abroad.

The statement called on Egyptians to "continue collapsing the bloody referendum with civilized and peaceful means, and inspiring a revolutionary boycott to amaze the world.”