Egypt's interior ministry announced arresting Islamist preacher and Muslim Brotherhood supporter Safwat Hegazy early on Wednesday, state TV reported. Hegazy was reportedly arrested in the vicinity of Siwa town, in Egypt's western desert, near the borders with Libya. On 7 August, Hegazy, along with senior Brotherhood figure Mohamed El-Beltagi and two field-hospital doctors, were referred to criminal court for allegedly attempting to detain and assault low-rank police officer Mohamed Farouk during a pro-Morsi march in July. According to the prosecution, Farouk was captured by the defendants while securing the pro-Morsi march. He was then taken to the Islamist Rabaa Al-Adawiya sit-in, where he was severely beaten, the prosecution added. Several other Brotherhood figures are also being prosecuted for inciting violence in past clashes following their arrest after president Mohamed Morsi's ouster by the military on 3 July after mass protests against him. Islamist forces, led by the Brotherhood from which Morsi hails, held two six-weeks-long sit-ins in Cairo calling for Morsi's reinstatement before they were violently dispersed by the police last week leaving over 600 people dead. They continue to voice their demands in demonstrations this week. Hegazy has been one of the prominent supporters of Morsi and the Brotherhood who was known to be present in the Rabaa El-Adawiya sit-in and spoke several times on the stage there to the protesters. Late on Monday, Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie was also arrested. He is expected to stand trial on 25 August with five other leading Brotherhood figures, including deputy guide Khairat El-Shater, on charges of inciting murder at the Brotherhood headquarters clashes last June.
