Ahmed Arfa is a supporter of Salafist leader Hazem Abu-Ismail Cairo – Akram Ali A security source in Cairo has denied an internet account that the home of Ahmed Arafa, the Salafist Hazemoun movement activist, was raided, with Arafa being \"kidnapped\" and some of his possessions being seized. The source explained that security authorities were informed Arafa’s possession of an automatic firearm. After an investigation supervised by Detective Inspector Abdulaziz Khedr, Arafa was apprehended and the weapon was found in his possession. Major general Usama al-Saghir, Cairo’s Director of Security, has ordered arraignment proceedings.
Earlier, a video published on Sheikh Hazem Abu-Ismail\'s official webpage showed Arafa’s mother saying that security forces broke into their home to arrest Arafa at dawn.
She has filed an official complaint at the Nasr City First Precinct police station about the incident. The complaint report states that 30 individuals dressed in plain clothes and armed with automatic weapons had broken into Arafa’s apartment. She claims they physically assaulted her by pushing her to the ground, kidnapped her son and seized two laptops, one mobile phone, a desktop computer’s CPU tower and Ahmed’s Fiat 128 car.
Muslim Brotherhood\'s attorney Abdelmenein Abdelmaqsoud has announced that he would be commissioning a lawyer to attend the questioning conducted by the Homeland Security Agency.
Speaking to the press, Abdelmaqsoud said he was following Arafa’s legal position and wants to know the reasons behind Arafa’s arrest and whether he was subjected to any torture.
The Muslim Brotherhood\'s legal aide also said that the incident was a \"throwback to the night visitors,\" adding that \"no one will allow\" the return of such practices. He demanded an investigation into any violations that may have taken place.
The Brotherhood\'s spokesperson Ahmed Sebia also condemned security forces’ \"suppressive tactics\" towards Arafa, expressing the Brotherhood’s \"total and utter\" condemnation of \"breaking into homes in this manner.\"
The spokesperson said an article in the draft constitution currently under referendum stipulates respect for \"the sanctity of the home and […] citizens’ private lives.\"
A number of activists have condemned Arafa\'s arrest on their personal social networking pages and expressed solidarity with him. The chairman of the Arabic Network of Human Rights Information (ANHRI), Gamal Eid, has attacked the Interior Ministry\'s \"criminal methods\" and called on President Mohammed Morsi to carry our essential reform.
Political activist Ahmed Douma has also expressed solidarity with the Salafist activist’s right to \"human treatment.\" Douma said he was against any form of assault against members of the Arafa family. He criticised the return of \"the old, filthy security methods\" and rejected \"the destruction of any group.\"
April 6 Youth Movement’s Mahmoud Afifi asked \"What’s Ahmed Arafa accused of, who arrested him, and is there or isn’t there an arrest warrant?\" He said there needs to be \"total transparency\" in such matters.
Activist and Free Egyptians Party spokesperson Ahmed Khairi also denounced \"violence against [Arafa’s] mother\" but said he could not object to the arrest itself \"if it was carried out legally.\"
Khaled Mansour described the arrest as \"a new crime by the Interior Ministry thugs” and demanded the immediate sacking of the minister and for \"all who participated in this crime\" to be held accountable.