Prosecution detains 90 arrested in Greater Cairo on uprising's anniversary

Tuesday 27-01-2015 12:27 PM
Prosecution detains 90 arrested in Greater Cairo on uprising's anniversary

A woman crosses Tahrir square entrance, which is blocked by armored vehicles and barbed wire, during the fourth anniversary of the 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in Cairo, January 25, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

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CAIRO, Jan 27 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's prosecution ordered on Tuesday the detention of 90 defendants arrested during the deadly violence which broke out in Greater Cairo on Sunday.

A total of 516 were arrested from across the nation in the aftermath of the violence, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim announced on Monday. 

The violence left 23 killed and 97 injured, Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said on Monday afternoon.

The east Cairo neighborhood of Matariya, a Muslim Brotherhood stronghold, was the centre of the most fatal clashes which erupted on Sunday, on the fourth anniversary of the January 2011 uprising.

The Matariya Prosecution ordered on Tuesday the detention of 33 arrested in the violence which has gripped the neighbourhood for the past two days. 

Egypt's Interior Ministry said in a statement that it sent reinforcements to the neighborhood Monday night after "terrorists" belonging to the Brotherhood used live fire and molotov cocktails against security forces.  

Prosecutors had opened an investigation with 43 defendants accused of involvement in the Matariya violence on Monday. Almost 20 have been killed in the clashes so far.

According to MENA, the fatalities include a child who was shot in the chest while passing by in the vicinity of the clashes.

Interior Minister Ibrahim said on Monday afternoon that Matariya was under security forces' "full control". He accused the Brotherhood of causing the violence, saying that "the Brotherhood rallied a group of their elements in Matariya, but we dealt with them."  

The North Giza Prosecution also detained 40 defendants arrested on Sunday for 15 days pending investigation, while the South Cairo Prosecution detained 17 more for the same period of times.

The three groups of detainees are facing a set of accusations which include protesting without permit, vandalism and attacking security personnel.

The Muslim Brotherhood has been rallying for protests nationwide to commemorate the uprising's anniversary. A 17-year old girl was killed during a Brotherhood protest in Alexandria on Friday.

The Interior Minister accused the Muslim Brotherhood of being responsible for the violence and said there is "conclusive evidence" proving that the banned group alone was on the street on Sunday.  

Security forces also dispersed a protest against "military rule" staged outside the press syndicate in downtown Cairo on Sunday. Protesters included families of those killed during the 2011 uprising which toppled the regime of former President Hosni Mubarak.

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