Congress moves to designate Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee in the United States Congress on Wednesday approved legislation calling on the State Department to label the Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organisation.

Lawmakers voted along party lines, passing the bill with 17 to 10 votes.

Supporters of the bill say if the measure is signed into law, the US would have to deny admittance to individuals who are tied to the Brotherhood but aren't US citizens or nationals.

Individuals who provide material support to the group would face criminal penalties.

The bill would allow the Treasury Department to require US banks and financial institutions to block transactions involving assets held by the Brotherhood.

Last year, the UK commissioned a review into the Muslim Brotherhood to determine whether the group is a terrorist organisation and should be banned, which concluded that it was not.

However, the review said that membership or association with the organisation was a "possible indicator of extremism".

The publication of the investigation had been delayed several times amid pressure from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who lobbied the British government to list the Brotherhood as a terrorist group.

The Brotherhood says it's a peaceful charitable and political group.

The group is considered a terrorist organisation by Saudi Arabia and by Egypt, where former Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi was overthrown as president in a military coup in 2013.