CAIRO: Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement on Saturday calling upon Egypt's interim ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) to apologize for the ongoing clashes in downtown Cairo that broke out when the army attacked a anti-government sit-in at the Cabinet building. As the violence continues for the second consecutive day, at least nine protesters are dead and 354 have sustained injuries, according to estimates from the Ministry of Health. The Brotherhood expressed “utter shock and dismay at the sight of people being killed and wounded in large numbers in Maspero, Mohammed Mahmoud Street, and now in the People's Assembly Streets and Qasr Al-Aini Street.” “No military personnel has been convicted for ordering or carrying out these crimes,” the statement continues. The Brotherhood statement called upon an independent judiciary to investigate the ongoing violence. The statement went on to reemphasize the constitutional right to assembly, urging the army and the ruling military council to acknowledge this right. “Only days ago, Dr. Ganzouri emphasized that no peaceful sit-ins or demonstrations will be broken by violent physical, or even oral or moral attacks. Yesterday, we witnessed the ferocious aggression against the protesters killing and injuring hundreds, without any justification.” “Meanwhile, absurd inflammatory statements, contradicting all democratic principles, are made by some SCAF Major-Generals, and SCAF refuses to reject, condemn or denounce such provocative statements.” The Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) is leading in polls for the country's parliamentary elections, after the second phase of national voting was completed this week. The Brotherhood has called for elections to continue undisturbed, despite the ongoing political violence. The violence began around two in the morning on Friday after an Ultra – a hardcore football fan – was abducted by security near the nearly three-week old sit-in in front of the Egyptian cabinet building. Rock throwing and clashes ensued and spread through the downtown Cairo area to Tahrir Square, Talaat Harb and Qasr el-Nil. Egypt's army took power after popular uprisings ousted former President Hosni Mubarak in February. Since, they have become growingly unpopular, as protesters call upon them to immediately transfer power to a civilian-led government. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/fujYH Tags: featured, Muslim Brotherhood Section: Egypt, Latest News
