REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CAIRO - A fugitive leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood has denied accusations his group is committing acts of "terrorism" following the coup that toppled the country's president. Egypt's media, almost uniformly anti-Brotherhood after the closure of Islamist television stations, have described the crackdown as a "war against terrorism."
"Don't be fooled by these lies and deception that aim to label us with terrorism, violence, (and) killing ... at a time when the hands of the coup regime are drowned in blood," Mohammed el-Beltagy said.
El-Beltagy's address, which aired Tuesday, comes as the Brotherhood plans new demonstrations to defy a crippling security crackdown that has put most of its senior and mid-level leadership behind bars. Among those detained Monday was 25-year-old US citizen Mohamed Soltan, the son of outspoken Brotherhood figure Salah Soltan, family and security officials said.
El-Beltagy, a former lawmaker, is wanted himself on accusations of inciting violence and has been hunted by authorities for nearly three weeks. In a videotaped message aired by Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr, an affiliate of the Qatar-based broadcaster, el-Beltagy said that authorities were trying to turn a "political crisis" into a security problem by accusing his group of orchestrating a terrorism campaign.
Qaradawi to be arrested in enter Egypt
Airport authorities also said Tuesday that well-known Egyptian cleric Yousef al-Qaradawi, based in Qatar, would be arrested upon entry to the country. The elderly sheik is very close to the Brotherhood and has spoken out vehemently against the country's military chief who led the coup.
The current bout of violence is the worst in Egypt's two and half years of turbulent transition. More than 1,000 people, mostly President Mohammed Mursi supporters, were killed in the raids and other violence since mid-August. Violence has waned in the past few days.
An official in the Interior Ministry said Tuesday that 106 security personnel have been killed since Aug. 14 and that more than 900 have been wounded in violence, including soldiers and policemen. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
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