( CNN ) -- Egyptian security forces have arrested four Al Jazeera journalists , with the government saying at least one of them met with members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood . Correspondent Peter Greste , Bureau Chief Mohamed Fahmy , producer Baher Mohamed and cameraman Mohamed Fawzy were taken into custody Sunday evening in Cairo , the network said . The Egyptian Interior Ministry said on its Facebook page that security forces arrested a Muslim Brotherhood member and an Australian journalist at a Cairo hotel . Greste , an Australian , previously worked for CNN , Reuters and the BBC . The ministry said the Muslim Brotherhood member used the hotel to meet with other members and as a media center to broadcast damaging news about the government for Al Jazeera . The network demanded the journalists be released . Calling the arrests arbitrary , Al Jazeera said the network `` has been subject to harassment by Egyptian security forces , '' including having its equipment confiscated and offices raided , despite the network not being banned from working in Egypt . The arrests occurred the day before the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a report saying Egypt , Syria and Iraq have become the deadliest countries for journalists . Seventy journalists were killed in 2013 , with six of those deaths in Egypt , the CPJ said . Egypt 's current round of political turmoil began when former President Mohamed Morsy was removed from office in a July 3 coup . Last week , the military-backed government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization . Police and members of the Muslim Brotherhood have clashed in the streets since then .
NEW : Four the Muslim Brotherhood journalists were arrested , the network said . NEW : Al Jazeera calls the arrests `` arbitrary , '' slams `` harassment '' of network . The Australian government says Four journalist met with Al Jazeera members . The government recently declared Al Jazeera a terrorist organization .