By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – An Egyptian court has decreed the release of Essam el Erian, the political department chief of Brotherhood, and nine other members of the group. The members were detained during an escalating crackdown on political dissent in August, when Egyptian police broke up their Muslim Brotherhood meeting in Cairo.

The nonviolent organization is banned by the Egyptian government and its members are frequently detained without charge or trial. El Erian himself has been in and out of detention for more than 15 years because of his membership in the Brotherhood – the largest opposition group in Egypt.

Although the Brotherhood currently holds one fifth of the seats in lower house parliament, the group lacks legitimacy because of Egyptian laws banning all political parties based on religion. Many members believe that the crackdown began as a result of the government’s determination to harass and dissuade the formation of banned-but-openly-operating Brotherhood.

The Egyptian authorities have arrested more than 1,000 Brotherhood members since March of 2006. Though many of these detainees are now released, they expect further “unfair” detentions in the days to come.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Egypt Brotherhood chief to be freed – 4 October 2007

Al Jazeera – Egypt Brotherhood members arrested – 17 August 2007

Human Rights Watch – Police intensify crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood – 18 December 2006