CAIRO — Egyptian security forces arrested June 24 several politicians and activists in what they described as the so-called Hope Coalition, which they said is a conspiracy to use illicit Muslim Brotherhood funds to stir violence in the streets in a bid to topple the state. 

Among those arrested were lawyer Ziad al-Elaimy, founding member of both the liberal Social Democratic Party and the January 25 Youth Revolutionary Coalition, young Nasserite leader Hossam Moaness and socialist journalist Hisham Fouad, all of whom were arrested on charges of belonging to a “terrorist group with a clear goal to destabilize Egypt.”

The political party leaders who took part in the “Hope Coalition” meetings dismissed these charges and explained that the name of the coalition was a temporary name for an alliance of seven pro-opposition political parties, including those within the Civil Democratic Movement such as the Dostour Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Popular Socialist Alliance Party, parliament's opposition 25-30 bloc and others concerned with public affairs and politics. They were preparing to contest in the parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in 2020. 

A senior Muslim Brotherhood source, who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press on this topic, told Al-Monitor through the secure communication platform Wire, “The Muslim Brotherhood is ready to coordinate with any political faction in Egypt in an attempt to confront the repressive regime that is trying to eliminate all aspects of democratic life.”