Egypt arrests Morsi loyalists for inciting violence

CAIRO - The Egyptian police arrested on Friday tens of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi over anti-government protests and inciting violence, according to official MENA news agency.

In various cities of Beheira province, about 130 km north of the capital Cairo, the police arrested 15 pro-Morsi protesters including high school and university students who were among tens of others shouting anti-government statements and raising posters of the deposed Islamist president.

Other three Morsi supporters in Beheira were arrested as they had been wanted over charges of inciting violence and urging unpeaceful protests in the province.

Similarly, in Alexandria costal city northwest of Cairo, the police arrested six protesters who allegedly belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood group from which Morsi hailed, after clashes between protesters and security men who dispersed their gathering.

Also on Friday, six people were arrested in Upper Egypt's Minya province over charges of breaking into and burning police stations and public properties following the security dispersal of pro- Morsi sit-ins last year.

In Suez, 120 km east of Cairo, two Brotherhood members were ordered for 15-day detention over charges of planning vandalism and gun possession. The two were senior employees at a nitrate- producing company whose production is a raw material for making explosives.

Meanwhile, Egyptian local media quoted security sources as saying that the police arrested 20 Brotherhood loyalists in Fayoum, 85 km south of Cairo, over the case of a policeman who has recently been shot dead by unknown gunmen in the province.

Morsi was removed by the military in July 2013 after mass protests against his one-year rule. The Muslim Brotherhood has been blacklisted by the Egyptian new leadership as "a terrorist group" and its members have been banned by court order from running in presidential and parliamentary elections.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters have been handed lengthy jail terms and death sentences after speedy trials since Morsi's overthrow and. A massive security crackdown on his supporters has left about 1,000 dead and thousands others arrested.

Morsi himself is currently in custody for trials over 2011 jailbreak, espionage, ordering the killing of protesters, insulting the judiciary and leaking classified documents to Qatar.