A Cairo court on Monday banned the Muslim Brotherhood and its NGO, leaving the Islamist group with no legal status. The group has existed outside of Egyptian law for decades and its NGO was only officially registered in March 2013. The court also banned the NGO's activities and froze its funds and property. The lawsuit was filed by the leftist Tagammu Party. Monday's verdict is not the only challenge to the 85-year-old Islamist group's existence. On 2 September, Egypt's State Commissioners Authority, a body that advises the government on legal issues, recommended the Brotherhood's dissolution after claims circulated of its links to armed militias. The authority's recommendations - which are non-binding - were made in accordance with Law 84 of 2002, which prohibits non-government organisations and institutions from forming paramilitary groups. Egyptian authorities have launched a crackdown against the group following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi — who hails from the group — by the military 3 July following mass protests against him and the group. The group's supreme guide, Mohamed Badie, and most of the group's high and mid-level leaders have been detained and face charges including incitement of violence against their opponents. On 17 September, Egyptian prosecutors froze the assets of several senior Brotherhood leaders and other prominent Islamists as part of investigations into the incitement of violence at protests. Badie, deputy supreme guide Khairat El-Shater, secretary general Ezzat Ibrahim and senior member Mohamed El-Beltagy are among dozens of prominent Islamists targeted by authorities. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/82304.aspx
