Egypt issue arrest warrant against Muslim Brotherhood leader

July 17, 2013

Egypt’s current leadership has issued a warrant for the arrest of the supreme leader of Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Badie and nine other leading Islamists on the charger of instigating violence in the opposition of the military coup which led ouster of President Mohamed Morsy. The violence killed 54 people of which most were Morsy’s supporters. The military already has jailed five Brotherhood leaders, including Mr. Badie’s powerful deputy, Khairat el-Shaiter, and shut down its media outlets.

Members of the Brotherhood and other Islamists have denounced the overthrow of Mr. Morsy and have refused offers by the military-backed interim leadership to join any transition plan for a new government. They are demanding reinstatement of Mr. Morsy’s regime.

The military-backed interim President, Adly Mansour, issued a fast-track timetable for the transition. His declaration set out a seven-month timetable for elections but also a shortened, temporary constitution laying out the division of powers in the meantime.

Reactions from other Gulf nations over ouster of Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt:

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have welcomed the development in Egypt. The two nations, both antagonists of Mr. Morsy’s Brotherhood, celebrated his ouster by lavishing the cash-strapped Egyptian government with promises of $8 billion in grants, loans and urgently needed gas and oil. Kuwait also promised to offer an aid package worth $4 billion. The donations effectively step in for Mr. Morsy’s Gulf ally, Qatar, a supporter of the Brotherhood that gave his government several billion in aid during his year in office.

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