Abdel Moneim Aboul Fottouh, member of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) opposition movement's authoritative Guidance Bureau, was remanded into custody on Sunday for 15 days pending investigation on charges of raising funds for the officially-banned group. Three other prominent MB members -- Gamal Abdel Salam, Ahmed Abbas and Khaled Beltagi -- were also remanded. MB lawyer Abdel Moneim Abdel Maqsoud contested the move, pointing out that investigations into the case had wrapped up several months ago. "It seems that 'detention-pending-investigation' has become a punishment in itself," he said, saying that there was "no legal justification" for keeping the defendants in custody. Abdel Maqsoud went on to note that Hassan Shaalan, another MB member detained in the Delta province of Daqahlia, remained in custody despite a court order for his release. Meanwhile, state security ordered the release of Reda Fahmi, another group member charged in the case, although the Interior Ministry has yet to carry out the ruling. By law, the Interior Ministry has the right to keep defendants in custody for 15 days after release orders are issued, during which time ministry lawyers prepare to lodge an appeal. If issued a second time, the order must be carried out. In a related development, state prosecutors remanded another nine MB members into custody in the Delta province of Sharqia on charges of "belonging to a banned group." The men were arrested during an 11 October demonstration against Israeli violations of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
