Cairo: The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's powerful banned opposition force, has warned the authorities against harming the group's women.
"The State Security officers commit serious transgressions while arresting members of the groups in pre-dawn raids," said the group in a toughly worded statement yesterday.
"The officers insult the women and girls in a very offensive manner. They even beat them up," added the statement.
The group, which has been officially outlawed in Egypt since 1954, said the latest such incident took place on March 23 in the Nile industrial city of Al Mahla Al Kubra.
"The group waits for a deterrent measure against those involved in such incidents."
There has been no immediate comment from security agencies.
The Muslim Brotherhood has a fifth of seats in the Egyptian parliament. Its members run in elections as independents. The group has recently been the target of repeated nationwide crackdowns, which its members say are aimed at discouraging them from standing in elections to the two houses of parliament due to be held later this year.
