As the fifth anniversary of Egypt’s 2011 uprising approaches, Egyptian officials have arrested the administrators of 47 Facebook pages that are run by members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Many of the 2011 marches, which ultimately culminated in the large-scale revolt that brought Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule to an end, were planned using Facebook. Now, Reuters reports, Egyptian security forces are concerned that similar incidents may happen again. Speaking to Reuters, an Egyptian Interior Ministry spokesperson explained:
“The administrators of these pages were arrested on charges of inciting against state institutions and spreading the ideas of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as calling for marches on the coming January 25th.”
The Muslim Brotherhood was one of the driving forces behind the 2011 revolts, but was banned and deemed a terrorist organization in 2013. It’s unclear how many members were involved with the 47 Facebook pages.
[Reuters]
Image by AP
