CAIRO — As Egypt’s presidential election scheduled for June 2018 approaches, Egyptian authorities arrested between mid-April and June 1 at least 44 people belonging to various political parties and movements in 17 governorates, according to statistics published June 2 by the Freedom for the Good Guys campaign. The campaign, launched in January 2014, works to defend political prisoners.

In an official statement May 19, the Interior Ministry said security services “shut down five social media accounts where the sites' administrators had created posts inciting sabotage acts against institutions and citizens.”

The apprehensions targeted members of the Constitution Party, the Strong Egypt Party and the April 6 Youth Movement. Also, seven members of the Bread and Freedom Party (BFP) — which is under establishment — were arrested May 18. The BFP was founded by Khaled Ali, a human rights lawyer and former candidate in the 2012 presidential elections.

Suzanne Nada, a representative of the BFP founding members, said in a May 23 press conference that the real reason behind the arrests is authorities' attempts to clamp down on political parties now that civil society and popular movements have been blocked. She indicated that the BFP is holding consultations with civil forces to organize a number of events in order to triumph over “repression.”