Egypt arrests son of ex-president

pulse

October 10, 2018 6:26 PM

A son of Egypts jailed former president Mohamed Morsi was arrested on Wednesday morning for belonging to a banned group and spreading "fake news", judicial and security sources said.

Abdullah Morsi, the youngest son of the deposed Islamist president, was arrested at dawn and is set to face prosecution, the sources said.

His father became Egypt's first freely elected leader in 2012, but was overthrown by the military a year later and imprisoned following major protests against his rule.

In an interview with the Associated Press news agency published earlier this month, Abdullah complained that his family has only been allowed to visit his father -- who faces the death penalty -- three times in five years.

He also said prison authorities had failed to provide the former president with sufficient medical care for diabetes and high blood pressure.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's regime has led a crackdown against Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood movement, which it views as a terrorist organisation.

Another son of the deposed president, Ossama Morsi, was arrested in 2016 for "incitement to violence" and is in prison.

Rights groups frequently accuse Egypt of attempting to silence critics by charging them with belonging to banned groups or disseminating "fake news".

Authorities have denied allegations of human rights abuses and say they are protecting the country's security and stability.

Since Morsi's ouster, jihadist attacks have killed hundreds of police officers, soldiers and civilians.

Security forces have killed hundreds of jihadists since February, according to official sources, as part of a sweeping military campaign in the Sinai Peninsula against hardline militants including members of the Islamic State group.

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