The government has released the majority of Muslim Brotherhood members arrested during the elections period.

According to the group's lawyer, Abdel Moneim Abdel-Maksoud, approximately 850 members of the group have been released and he expects the rest to be set free over the next few weeks.

Abdel Maksoud had told Ahram Online last week that 1,200 members of the group were arrested since Mohamed Badie, the group's supreme guide, announced on 9 October that the group would contest 30 per cent of parliament.

Abdel-Maksoud, however, denied media reports that the release of the Brotherhood members came after the group's announcement last Wednesday that it will boycott the second round runoffs scheduled for Sunday.

"This information is completely and utterly false," said Abdel Maksoud. "They have been letting people go throughout the last month; it is an arrest and release pattern that happened since the [Brotherhood] said they would run in October. It certainly didn't all happen after they announced that they would boycott [the second round]."

Abdel-Maksoud added that 18 members of the group who have been sentenced to one to three years for using religious slogans in political campaigns — such slogans being banned by the Higher Elections Committee — will appeal their sentences mid December.

Last week the group failed to secure any seats during the first round of elections, but it is reported that 27 will compete in the runoffs. It is not yet clear whether the group will backtrack on its stated boycott.