The Muslim Brotherhood in London rejected British media reports claiming British authorities would ban the group’s activities in London over connection to “terrorist groups,” threatening that Britain could be sued if any curbs were imposed.
The Telegraph Foreign Affairs correspondent Damien McElroy reported Monday that Britain will curb the group’s activities in London after an investigative report conducted by British ambassador to Saudi Arabia Sir John Jenkins points that “the movement’s activity amounts to complicity with armed groups and extremists in the Middle East and elsewhere.”
Muslim Brotherhood member Azzam Tamimi said Tuesday the article is sensationalist and from the reporter’s speculation and “does not contain any details about what in fact is in Sir Jenkins’ report or what it is likely to recommend,” Ikhwanweb reported.
“I believe that the actions so suggested by the article’s author against the Brotherhood would require new legislation that will not be easy. If the British government tried to head in that direction, it will be faced with a tough legal battle in British and European courts, especially since Sir Jenkins’ review – according to what has been leaked of it until now – does not accuse the Muslim Brotherhood of involvement in any alleged terrorist activity,” he was quoted as saying.
On April 1, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron ordered the country’s intelligence agencies to investigate Muslim Brotherhood activities, amid reports the group is using London as a base to plan militant activities after a crackdown in Egypt.
Egypt declared the Brotherhood a terrorist group on Dec. 25, 2013, and Saudi Arabia also designated it as such March 7,2014.
In August, the Financial Times reported that the results of the report would be delayed as government officials feared that they would run counter to the policies of Gulf allies towards the Muslim Brotherhood.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain pressured on Qatar to stop its support to the Muslim Brotherhood, and recalled March 5 their ambassadors from Qatar after accusing Doha of failing to abide by an accord not to interfere in other GCC members’ internal affairs.
Egypt’s relations with Qatar have quickly chilled following the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi.
Qatar requested Saturday seven Muslim Brotherhood leaders to leave the country, according to Amr Darrag, former Minister of Planning and Cooperation and a leading member of the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and the National Alliance Supporting Legitimacy (NASL).
Tamimi said “none of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders who left Qatar has sought asylum in Britain, and I can safely rule out the possibility of any of them doing so in the future. Asylum procedures, even visits to Britain, have become very difficult and complex.”
