While the Egyptian authorities have increased their efforts to repress any political opposition in the lead-up to the elections, the elections attracted representatives from all sides, including 15 Muslim Brotherhood candidates, 74 National Democratic candidates, while independent candidates and other fringe parties made up the remaining 357 candidates of a total of 446.

Beginning yesterday morning, State Security Investigative forces in the cooperation with the General Intelligence bureau and the Central Security agency, attacked many of the electoral committees and prevented opposition candidates from entering the ballot area. In addition to this, they have expelled representatives of the electoral committees and rigged ballot boxes; representative of opposition candidates as well Muslim Brotherhood supporters were surprised to find that the ballot boxes had already been filled with voting cards.

Alkarama has been following the human rights violation taking place during the election process in Al-Sharqiya governorate, where security forces abducted nine Muslim Brotherhood supporters while they were waiting to observe the elections. Plainclothes SSI troops arrested them on Tuesday morning from their homes and off the street. Their names are as follows.

1 - Imam Mohammed Khalifa, arrested from his workplace

2 - Yousef Gad, arrested while walking in the street

3 - Ali Hassan Badran, arrested from his home

4 - Ahmed Tawfik Tuwahan, arrested from his home

5 - Suleyman Khoush, arrested from his home

6 - Mohamed Awad, arrested from his home

7 - Ahmed Attiyah, arrested from his home

8 - Ashraf Samir, arrested from his home

9 - Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim Attiyah, arrested from his home

The information indicates that all of these victims are still considered as disappeared. The location remains unknown; there is as of yet no justification for their arrest; no charges against them; and all are currently victims of incommunicado detention.

Alkarama has also received news of a series of violations in Al-Baheira governorate as elections there have also now suffered a blow. The details of three known cases are as follows:

1 - A man by the name of Arabi, was seriously injured in the foot after a officer, Ahmad Banna, an SSI officer from Hosh Issa opened fire on as he tried to cast a vote at the voting poll in Hosh Issa. His parents immediately took him to the hospital.

2 - Plainclothes SSI officers in abducted Ayman Al-Khater from his home in Abu Homs as he was depositing his voting card. Ayman Al-Khater's whereabouts remain unknown, and the charges against him have yet to be made public.

3 - SSI offices, under the command of Hassan Abu Wafi, kidnapped Juma Abu Zaid, outside the voting poll in Al-Qarnein village in Hosh Issa, Al-Baheira, as he was casting his vote. His whereabouts remain unknown, and the charges against him have yet to be made public.