Egypt’s chief prosecutor orders the arrest of political activists

Talaat Ibrahim Abdullah has issued the arrest of activists and journalists Egypt’s chief prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim Abdullah has issued arrest warrants for five political activists in connection to protests outside the government’s headquarters in Cairo on Friday, which left more than 200 people injured. Several thousand opponents of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, protesting under the banner “Reigniting Dignity”, clashed with supporters of the Islamist group near its headquarters in the Mokkatam area.
The demonstrations were organised by the Independent Stream, an organisation consisting of more than 30 opposition parties, in response to what it calls “the harsh treatment of journalists and political activists by Egypt’s government.”
Meanwhile, protests at the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) in Cairo continued well into Monday, with several media figures assaulted over accusations of "biased media coverage" of anti-Brotherhood clashes that took place on Friday.
Egypt’s Prosecutor-General Talaat Ibrahim Abdullah announced on Monday that it would question under caution popular blogger Alaa Abdel-Fattah, Popular Current member Ahmed Doma, National Salvation Front member Hazem Abdel-Azim, Constitution Party member Ahmed Eid, activist Karim El-Shaer, and journalist and blogger Nawara Negm.
Local media reports suggest that Abdullah’s announcement comes after a Muslim Brotherhood’s lawyer Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maksoud filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office against 169 individuals – including party heads, politicians and "thugs" – whom he accused of inciting the violence on Friday.
Demonstrators are expected to gather outside the High Court in Cairo to protest against the move.
Abdullah’s announcement also came after Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi made a public speech vowing to take action against “protesters and any media outlets found to be supporting or inciting violence.”
According to a press release by the Prosecutor-General’s office, Egypt’s Interior Ministry has been  examine CCTV footage as well as social networks like Facebook and Twitter to find evidence that the five individuals are guilty of inciting protesters to “set the headquarters alight  and to kill members of the Muslim Brotherhood group.”
Human rights activists have criticised the prosecutor’s decision as “political and biased”, while the National Salvation Front (NSF), Egypt’s main opposition party, called it a “fierce campaign against opposition parties and political activists.”
Gamal Eid, head of the Arabic Network for Human Rights told Arabstoday that Abdullah’s decision is an “escalatory step towards attempting to destroy political figures under the umbrella of the law.”
Meanwhile, in a statement released today, the NSF condemned the government for arresting opposition leaders based on “false accusations of inciting violence.”
Negad al- Borai, a leading human rights lawyer in Egypt, said: "This decision is only the beginning."
He added that he expects further action to be taken against politicians and opposition leaders in the aftermath of Morsi’s damning speech.
Al-Borai said that "I do not mind judging any instigator of violence, and to hold all those responsible for it, but by law and with equality to all."