Egypt arrests 31 banned Muslim Brotherhood members

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Egyptian authorities detained 31 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood on Monday, bringing to nearly 700 the number of members arrested since police began rounding them up in March. The men were arrested in Marsa Matrouh, a vacation town on the Mediterranean coast 524 kilometers (325.5 miles) from Cairo. All were originally from the port city of Alexandria and were on a summer holiday, according to the group's Web site. They were arrested for holding illegal meetings in three apartments, police officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The Muslim Brotherhood increased its seats in parliament sevenfold in last year's legislative elections, despite clashes between security forces and opposition voters that killed some 14 people.