The Cairo-based Higher State Security Prosecution prolonged on Sunday Feb, 4, 2007, the detention of five Muslim Brotherhood (MB) leaders, and some well-known businessmen for 15 days pending trial.

The MB leaders who whose detention was prolonged are:

1- Dr. Mohamed Hafez, owner of Al Hayat pharmaceutical company.

2- Ahmed Asharaf, CEO of  the Islamic Co. for Publishing and Distribution.

3- Hassan Malek, owner of several successful businesses.

4- Dr. Mohamed Baligh- a conjunctivitis professor at Al-Azhar University.

5- Ahmed Shosha, owner of a construction company.

They were detained last December after Al-Azhar University incidents and a sportive parade performed by MB students, which was taken by the regime as a pretext for launching a crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood and arresting MB businessmen, and freezing their assets.