Former Egyptian Information Minister Hany Mahmoud, who resigned on Tuesday, was under substantial pressure from inside the government to cut off the country's coummunication links, Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reported on Wednesday.
According to government sources, speaking to the newspaper, Mr. Mahmoud was pressured by leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to cut off phone and internet lines in the Al-Itihadiya area of the capital.
The district in question had previousy seen three days of violent clashes between protestors against the new constitution and Muslim Brotherhood supporters. It is also the location of President Morsi's palace, from which he was forced to flee after demonstrators came close to breaking in earlier this month.
Mahmoud reportedly refused to comply with requests to shut down communications, leading to his resignation on Tuesday. Al-Masry Al-Youm also reported that, according to their government source, wire-tapping of political opponents was widespread in Morsi's government.
The same source indicated that further resignations were to come.
