The Friday announcement came as the Brotherhood spokesman Yasser Mehrez, who had evaded arrest for the past 10 months despite a brutal crackdown on the group by the military-installed interim government, was accused of “inciting murder and violence” after Egypt’s US-backed military forced the ouster of the country’s first democratically-elected President Mohammad Morsi in July 2013.
The development came as Egyptian health and security officials also announced the Friday killing of two more people by police forces in another pro-Morsi protest rally in city of Fayoum, south of the capital Cairo.
They said a woman was killed by “birdshot” wounds to her head and chest, while a man succumbed to his death from exposure to intense tear gas used by Egyptian police forces during the demonstrations.
Several other people were reportedly injured during the protest events, local press reports said, citing security sources.
Clashes also erupted in several other parts of Egypt.
Further in Helwan city, south of Cairo, clashes erupted between Morsi supporters and security forces.
Meanwhile, protest rallies also took place in the Giza governorate in Boulaq El-Dakrour district and were marked by Morsi supporters holding his picture and banners which displayed the 'Rabaa' sign of a hand holding up four fingers.
The protestors chanted slogans against police and military during the protest, according to local press reports.
While Egyptian military and police forces have jailed, killed and injured hundreds of pro-Morsi demonstrators and Brotherhood members since his ouster in July 2013, nearly 500 police and army officers have been killed in bombings and shootings by anti-government militants across the country.
Most attacks have been in the restive Sinai Peninsula, but in recent months a number have taken place in the Nile Delta and Cairo.
Egypt’s military-led government has blamed the Brotherhood for the attacks and have blacklisted it as a “terrorist organization.” The group, however, has repeatedly denied involvement in such acts of violence.
MB/MB