Muslim Brotherhood under threat of disbandment

The Egyptian authorities are considering disbanding the Muslim Brotherhood group, a spokesman for the Egyptian Cabinet says.

Spokesman Sherif Shawki says prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi assigned the ministry of social solidarity to study the legal possibilities of dissolving the group. He didn’t elaborate.

The Muslim Brotherhood group, founded in 1928, came to power a year ago when its leader Mohammed Morsi was elected in the country’s first free presidential elections. The election came after the overthrow of long-time autocratic president Hosni Mubarak.

Morsi was overthrown in a popularly backed military coup July 3.

The Brotherhood rocketed to power after decades of being a banned group in Egypt. While sometimes tolerated, its leaders often faced long bouts of imprisonment.