Egypt’s military run government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist” organisation on Wednesday, vowing to crack down on its members, as unrest in the country continues.
In a statement released by the Egyptian cabinet, they stated,
"The government has decided to declare the Muslim Brotherhood movement a terrorist organisation".
"Members who continue to belong to this group or organisation following the release of this statement will be punished according to the law."
The move follows a suicide bombing attack on a police station in Cairo, which was blamed on the Muslim Brotherhood by the government. The attack saw 16 people killed and more than 100 wounded.
Speaking on the government’s decision, Ibrahim Munir, a member of the group's executive council who is in exile in London, stated,
"The protests will continue, certainly… This is an attempt to frame the Brotherhood."
See the AFP report here.
Senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington Khalil al-Anani, labelled the decision a “turning point”, adding,
“This is a big miscalculation from the government… It is a massive social movement, whose supporters might retaliate or fight back”.
Read more of his comments in the New York Times report here.