Egypt Arrests Fugitive Muslim Brotherhood Leader

Egyptian authorities Wednesday captured a fugitive Muslim Brotherhood leader.

Police arrested Essam al-Erian, vice chairman of the Brotherhood’s political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, at an apartment in the New Cairo area.

The arrest is the latest move by the government to crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist extremism in Egypt. Officials plan to put Erian on trial next week beside former President Mohammed Morsi.

“You can’t escape your destiny,” Erian said to reporters when he was arrested. “I am confident I will be out of prison after putting an end to the coup.”

The trial of Morsi and his compatriots is scheduled to begin on November 4th but Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood announced they reject the authority of the courts. Several judges have already stepped down from Brotherhood trials claiming “reasons of conscience.”

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