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Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood declared 'terrorist group' Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood declared 'terrorist group'
(35 minutes later)
The Egyptian government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group. The military-backed interim Egyptian government has declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group.
The Islamist group, whose candidate Mohammed Morsi won the country's first democratic election last year before being deposed by the military, had already been outlawed. The Islamist group, whose candidate Mohammed Morsi won the country's first democratic presidential election last year before being deposed by the military, had already been outlawed.
Thousands of its supporters have been arrested in a crackdown by the police and military.Thousands of its supporters have been arrested in a crackdown by the police and military.
This escalation gives the authorities more power to crack down on them.
Deputy Prime Minister Hossam Eissa read out a Cabinet statement announcing the move after a meeting on Wednesday.
"The Cabinet has declared the Muslim Brotherhood group and its organisation as a terrorist organisation," he said.
He added that the implications of the declaration were that those who belonged to the group, financed it or promoted its activities would face punishment.
Brotherhood supporters have staged protests since Mr Morsi's government was toppled on 3 July following widespread anti-Brotherhood demonstrations.
The authorities blame the Brotherhood for the rash of militant attacks that have hit Egypt, a claim the group strongly denies.
Banned
The 85-year-old Islamist movement was banned by Egypt's military rulers in 1954, but registered an NGO called the Muslim Brotherhood Association in March this year in response to a court case bought by opponents who contested its legal status.
The Brotherhood also has a political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), which was set up in 2011 as a "non-theocratic" group after the uprising that forced President Hosni Mubarak from power.
Following Mr Morsi's overthrow and the suspension of the Islamist-friendly 2012 constitution, the Cairo administrative court and the social solidarity ministry were tasked with reviewing the Brotherhood's legal status.
In September, a ruling by the Cairo Court for Urgent Matters banned the Brotherhood itself, the NGO, as well as "any institution derived from or belonging to the Brotherhood" or "receiving financial support from it".