Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood loses appeal against ban on their activity

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood lost an appeal against a court decision to ban the group, Al Arabiya’s Cairo correspondent reported Wednesday.

The verdict bans all of the group’s activities and includes seizing its funds.

Earlier in September, an Egyptian court ordered a ban on the group following the military-led ouster of Islamist President Mohammad Mursi on July 3.

The case against Mursi's Brotherhood was brought by a lawyer from the leftist Tagammu party, which cited the need to protect Egyptians from violence.

It accompanied a campaign by security forces to crush the Islamist movement in which hundreds of its members have been killed, thousands arrested, and its leaders, including Mursi, put on trial.

Wednesday's decision was another political blow to the group.

“In its scheduled session today, the Cairo Urgent Cases court dismissed an appeal raised by the Muslim Brotherhood to stop the execution of the previous order banning the activities of the group,” state news agency MENA reported.

The military-installed government has promised new elections next year which foreign governments say must include all political factions to mark a credible return to democracy. The court ruling indicated the Brotherhood was likely to be excluded.

(with Reuters)