Egypt arrests Brotherhood members
The banned but tolerated outfit says more than 270 members are being held in jails.
Egyptian authorities launch regular crackdowns on the Muslim Brotherhood, which operates openly despite being officially banned.
Brotherhood members elected as independents hold 88 seats in the 454-member lower house of parliament, which is dominated by the ruling National Democratic Party.
Some analysts say the government is preparing for a wider assault on the group after Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, said this month that the Brotherhood posed a threat to Egypt‘s security.
The government was also angered by a protest march at al-Azhar University last month in which students wore militia-style uniforms and black balaclavas.
State media said the march showed the group was forming a militia.
Mubarak has also proposed constitutional amendments that include a ban on forming political parties based on religion.
The Brotherhood says it wants to establish a civil, democratic party that is not exclusive to Muslims.