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Egyptian Court Advised to Abolish Muslim Brotherhood


An Egyptian in Cairo holds the Al-Ahram newspaper fronted by a picture of Mohammed Badie, the supreme leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, left, and pictures of flag-draped coffins containing the bodies of slain off-duty policemen, Aug. 20, 2013.
An Egyptian in Cairo holds the Al-Ahram newspaper fronted by a picture of Mohammed Badie, the supreme leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, left, and pictures of flag-draped coffins containing the bodies of slain off-duty policemen, Aug. 20, 2013.
An Egyptian judicial panel on Monday recommended the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt's largest political organization - and that its headquarters be closed.

In non-binding recommendations to Egypt's administrative court, the panel accused the Brotherhood of operating outside the law.

The move to strip the Brotherhood of its status as a legally registered non-governmental organization is the latest challenge to the Islamist party from the army-backed interim government that deposed former president Mohamed Morsi in July.

On Sunday, state media reported that Morsi, who remains in detention, will be put on trial along with 14 other suspects on charges of inciting violence and murder. The charges stem from deadly clashes between Morsi's Brotherhood supporters and opponents in Cairo late last year. Authorities say seven people were killed in the violence.

The 85-year-old Muslim Brotherhood rose to the forefront of Egyptian politics after the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that drove longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak from power. The Islamist movement then formed a political party and won a majority of seats in parliament.

Morsi ran for president on the movement's ticket and and became the country's first democratically elected president in June 2012. But he sparked massive opposition and protests as he sought to consolidate power.
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