Egypt orders 18 Brotherhood members held on terror charges: media

CAIRO - Agence France-Presse

Armed Forces General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (2nd R) promotes an army border guard during the graduation of a new batch of non-commissioned officers at the NCOs' Institute in Cairo. REUTERS photo

Egyptian prosecutors ordered at least 18 Muslim Brotherhood members, including an ex-lawmaker, held on accusations of belonging to a terrorist group, a day after the government blacklisted the movement, state media reported.
 
They include the son of a deputy leader of deposed president Mohamed Morsi's movement, which the government declared yesterday a terrorist organisation, the official MENA news agency said.
 
Seven were detained for a renewable two-week period in the city of Alexandria and 11 in the Nile Delta town of Zagazig. Police also arrested 16 suspected Muslim Brotherhood members for passing out leaflets in support of the group and "inciting to violence," the agency reported.

Sisi vows to fight terrorism, make Egypt stable

Egypt's army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who led the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, vowed Thursday to fight terrorism and stabilise the deeply polarised country.

 "Do not worry or fear, the army will sacrifice for Egypt. We will eliminate" terrorism, Sisi said at a military ceremony, in his first comments after Egypt was rocked by two bomb attacks this week.

 "Do not allow these terrorist actions to affect you. If you want freedom and stability, which is not achieved easily, then you have to trust God and your army and your police," said Sisi, who is also defence minister, in a statement released by the army.

The Brotherhood's designation as a terrorist group means anyone taking part in these rallies could be sentenced to five years in prison, the interior ministry said.
 
Possessing their literature, or supporting them "verbally or in writing," is punishable by up to five years in prison, a ministry statement said.
 
The Brotherhood still organises almost daily protests demanding Morsi's return almost six months after the military overthrew him.
 
More than 1,000 people have been killed in street clashes and thousands imprisoned in a police crackdown on the movement.