CAIRO, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- An Egyptian court Tuesday upheld the freezing of financial assets of the Muslim Brotherhood's senior leaders, the state news agency said.
A previous order to temporarily freeze the assets of the Islamist group ousted from power in July was upheld by the Cairo Criminal Court.
Most of the Muslim brotherhood leadership is currently in jail, with human rights groups critical of their treatment and conditions, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday. Brotherhood-backed former president Mohamed Morsi has been held by the military at an undisclosed location since he was removed from office by the Egyptian army.
The interim government has shown no signs of easing pressure on the brotherhood. Authorities have kept a tight grip on the capital, Cairo, and a curfew remains in effect, the newspaper said.
Related
The nightly curfew was imposed in Cairo and other cities Aug. 14 to end violent nationwide protests. The government extended the state of emergency for two more months, officials said.
An Egyptian government source told Ahram Online Monday authorities plan to reduce the curfew from seven hours to five, beginning Saturday. The nightly curfew will extend from midnight to 5 a.m.
"What is happening is no political conflict but rather a destruction of the state," interim Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy told al-Masry al-Youm in an interview published Monday. The state of emergency has been extended but the curfew will be eased depending on the security situation, he said. He described himself as prime minister of a pivotal government laying the foundations for the future at a time when it is facing "irrational groups that are willing to do anything."
