24 Sep 2019; MEMO: Six members of the Istiqlal Party in Egypt were arrested at dawn today as Egypt moves to crackdown on anyone supporting recent demonstrations in the country, Ahmed El-Attar, a rights activist working for the the Egyptian Coordination for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), has told MEMO.
On Friday Egyptians took to the street to express their frustration with the Sisi government after discontent swelled following a series of videos released by Egyptian contractor Mohamed Ali confirmed that the government and army are embroiled in widespread corruption.
Thousands of people have called on the general turned president to step down after revelations that Al-Sisi and his circle are pouring money into vanity projects rather than on services desperately needed by the people, who are reeling from severe austerity measures.
Istiqlal Party recently released a statement in support of the protests, asking demonstrators to go to Tahrir Square at 2pm today.
Among the party members arrested are Secretary General Magdi Kerqar, Secretary Mohammed Al-Amir, lawyer and human rights activist Sahar Ali, Secretary of the Membership Committee Ahmed Al-Qazzaz, Secretary of Information in Manzala, Mohamed Al-Qadousi, and member of the Youth Union Mohammed Shadi.
Also this morning Media Secretary Shawqi Rajab’s house was broken into and his house turned upside down, but he had gone into hiding. There is now a warrant out for his arrest.
Several others were arrested yesterday including Party Secretary Mohammed Murad. Security forces returned to his house on Monday to arrest his son and steal 30,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,838.)
The members have been forcibly disappeared and nobody knows of their whereabouts. It is the first time since the Muslim Brotherhood that an entire political party has been cracked down on by the state, says El-Attar.
Although the arrests appear to be in connection with the recent wave of protests, the Istiqlal Party has been under the radar of security forces for some time now.
In June they raided politician and member Osama Al-Aqbawi’s house and when they could not find him, arrested his daughter Mawadda Osama Al-Aqbawi, a student.
