Cops in cover-up - Brotherhood
2007-08-06 17:06
Cairo - Egypt's main opposition movement the Muslim Brotherhood on Monday accused police of having "kidnapped" and tortured three of their members.
Brotherhood MP Sobhi Saleh said nothing had been heard from Mustafa Mohammed Ahmed Imam, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Imam and Mohammed Ali Farid since he said they were arrested on July 18.
The Interior Ministry refused to comment on the allegations and was unable to say whether the men, all students at Alexandria University, had even been arrested.
"I accuse the Interior Ministry of having kidnapped and tortured the students," said Saleh.
Brotherhood lawyer Khalaf Ahmed accused the security forces of wanting to hold the students in secret until their alleged traces of torture disappeared.
Egypt, accusing the Islamists of wanting to destabilise the state, has during the summer rounded up dozens of members of the banned Brotherhood, which controls about a fifth of seats in parliament where they sit as independents.
Rights groups accuse Egyptian police of systematically using torture against detainees.