Publish Date: 1 January 2014 - 11:27

TEHRAN, Jan. 1 (MNA) – Egypt's government has increased its crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood in the country ordering the seizure of assets belonging to 572 members, senior judicial and security officials announced.

On December 24, Cairo designated the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist” organization, linking the group to recent attacks on security forces without investigating or providing any evidence backing its claim.
 
In a statement published on its website on Saturday, Human Rights Watch denounced the move as politically motivated and "aimed at expanding the crackdown on peaceful Brotherhood activities and imposing harsh sanctions on its supporters."
 
Tensions have been running high in Egypt since July 3, when the army toppled Morsi, the first democratically elected head of state, suspended the constitution and dissolved the parliament. It also appointed the head of the Supreme Constitutional Court, Adly Mahmoud Mansour, as the new interim president.
 
MNA
END