Egypt police stop pro-Mursi Press conference

Egyptian police prevented supporters of ousted president Mohammed Mursi from holding a Press conference on Tuesday, asking journalists to leave the venue.

The Press conference was called by the Islamist Anti-Coup Alliance in response to an official report on a deadly police crackdown on pro-Mursi protest camps in August.

An AFP correspondent who went to attend the Press conference found police deployed outside the venue. They took down the names of journalists in attendance and advised them to leave. An activist of the Islamist group said two organisers were arrested.

Security officials confirmed the police intervention but not the arrests.

Police dispersed two Islamist protest camps in Cairo on August 14, a month after the army overthrew Mursi, killing hundreds of his supporters in clashes.

The National Council for Human Rights said in a report released on Monday that 632 people were killed in one of the protest camps, including eight policemen.

It said that exchanges of fire erupted after “some armed elements suddenly opened fire” and killed an officer calling on protesters to disperse.

Tuesday’s pro-Mursi Press conference was called to “reply to the falsified claims” made in the report, an email invitation said.

More than 1,400 people have been killed in the crackdown on Mursi’s supporters, according to Amnesty International.

Thousands more, including Mursi and most of the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, have been detained.