Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 15 / Trend A. İsgandarov /
Secretary-General of the Party of Freedom and Justice Mohamed Saad Katatni has stated that the party will not join the Friday protests scheduled for Sept.16, the party's official website reported.
"We will not join the upcoming protests. Egypt passes through an extremely delicate period, which requires us to be more united before organizing any action."
The Freedom and Justice party of Egypt is nominally independent, but has strong links to the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, the largest and best organized political group in Egypt. The party plans to join the upcoming parliamentary election to gain almost half seats at the parliament.
Early Friday, streets in Cairo looked like a war zone as violence intensified between security forces and protesters. Gunfire pierced the air as rocks, burning tires and fires from Molotov cocktails littered the streets.
The turmoil left three dead and 1,049 injured, the Egyptian Health Ministry said, according to the the state-sponsored Al-Ahram newspaper.
The Israeli ambassador to Egypt left for Tel Aviv amid the violence early Saturday, along with members of his family and staff as well as security guards, said Egyptian Army Lt. Col. Amr Imam.
All diplomatic personnel from the Israeli Embassy have either left or were in the process of leaving, the Israeli official said.
But one Israeli diplomat -- a deputy ambassador -- will stay in a secure location in Egypt because Israel wants to maintain a diplomatic presence in the country, he said, CNN reported.