Ikhwanweb :: The Muslim Brotherhood Official English Website

 The detention of Egyptian judge, Waleed El-Shafei, while attempting to monitor a polling station in Badrasheen district during Sunday's voting, has triggered widespread controversy.

According to El-Shafei, local police officials intervened and prevented him from doing his job. El-Shafei filed complaints with the High Elections Commission and complaints were submitted to the Giza public prosecution office over this and other violations he observed on election day.

The Judges Club condemned the violations. Puzzled, they asked why the regime would bring judges to supervise elections where they have no authority or power to do their job. Prominent judge, Noha El-Zeiny, stressed: "The violations against judges have crossed all boundaries adding the judges should have been guaranteed that they could perform their duties and actually monitor the elections instead of having a fake observation."

 While Badrasheen election officials denied that the detention had taken place, El-Shafei asserted that on arrival he was intercepted by a thug and was then humiliated by a security officer. When he introduced himself, demanded access to investigate the reports and presented his credentials, the security officer confiscated his ID card and told him to step aside. El-Shafei was then held next to the gate by security soldiers for some time before he managed to call and get help from the regional committee.