Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

In another bout of violation of freedom of rights the Interior Ministry has denied visitation privileges during the up-coming Eid for 217 detained Muslim Brotherhood members.

MB's top defense lawyer Abdul Monem Abdul Maqsoud asserted that among the detainees are Eng. Khayrat el-Shater and Dr Mohamed Ali Behr from the Executive bureaus who were sentenced by military tribunal in 2008 along with 18 others.

"Despite The constitution prohibiting arbitrary arrest and detention; police and security forces continue to conduct large-scale arrests where there is currently 133 MB members detained without charge under the Emergency Law.  Moreover, the government continues to use this "Emergency Law "to try non-security cases in the emergency courts and to restrict many other basic rights including visitation rights to families of detainees. 66 members remain detained pending investigation". Abdul Maqsoud added that "In fact 83 detained members have received repeated release orders after court hearings but were ignored and detainees were re-arrested under orders from the Interior Ministry. 54 detainees have health conditions which need special attention and this of course is not available in the prisons."

  The government's respect for human rights remains poor, and it is unfortunate that the Ministry lacks maturity and compassion for the detainees and the families since festive days are naturally spent with families and loved ones. The deprivation of even the simplest rights to meet and celebrate together demonstrates once again the unjust conditions the detainees are facing and the continuation of abusing citizens rights even while behind bars.