Security forces in Egypt have arrested a prominent political activist for allegedly inciting people to protest in defiance of a new law requiring demonstrations receive prior approval.
The family of Alaa Abdel-Fattah said he was arrested on Thursday night at his home in Cairo.
His father, Ahmed Seif al-Islam, a prominent lawyer, said police beat up his son's wife and confiscated laptops in their raid.
Abdel-Fattah's wife, Manal Bahy Eldin, wrote on Twitter: "If police beat me up while I am in my home, what would they do with Alaa? I am very worried about him."
Mona Seif, Abdel-Fattah's sister, said on Twitter: "They arrested Alaa at his home, they beat Manal when she tried to understand, they took all the laptops and mobiles and refused to show them any warrant for taking those things".
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Abdel-Fattah rose to prominence in the 2011 uprising which forced president Hosni Mubarak out of power.
