CAIRO, Egypt -- Security forces in Egypt have arrested a prominent political activist over allegedly inciting people to protest in defiance of a newly passed law requiring demonstrations receive prior approval from authorities.
The family of Alaa Abdel-Fattah said he was arrested 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."
Abdel-Fattah rose to prominence in the 2011 revolution which forced longtime president Hosni Mubarak out of power.
