Egyptian group wants apology for violence

CAIRO, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said Egyptian military authorities need to apologize for post-election crackdown.

Anti-government protests rekindled prior to Egypt's first round of parliamentary elections in November.

Violence escalated following a runoff election and also during the second round of voting, which saw Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the conservative al-Nour party secure a majority of the votes.

Women who said they were arrested by military forces claimed they were molested while in custody. The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in response expressed "deep sorrow" for the violation of women's rights, al-Jazeera reports.

The FJP, in a statement released through its English-language Ikhwanweb media service, said runoff elections Wednesday were relatively calm though some minor issues were reported at various polling stations.

FJP, the statement added, calls on "SCAF to offer an apology for the use of so much violence (and) to pledge not to repeat the same practices in the future."

SCAF took control over Egypt following the country's revolution in February. Elections were promised within six months of the revolution, stoking anti-military sentiments.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department told reporters Washington was concerned by the violence in Egypt, especially violence targeting women. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an audience at Georgetown University that women were being "humiliated" in the streets.