Mohamed ElBaradei placed under house arrest as protests escalate

Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace laureate who returned to his Egyptian homeland to participate in anti-government protests, has been placed under house arrest by security officials, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Police have warned ElBaradei that he cannot leave his house in suburban Cairo to join demonstrators in the city.

Earlier, police used water cannons and batons against ElBaradei during prior protest marches.

Upon arrival in Egypt yesterday, ElBaradei told reporters “it is a critical time in the life of Egypt. I wish we didn’t have to go into the streets to impress upon the regime that they have to change.”

Meanwhile, anti-government demonstrations have swept across much
of Egypt, demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

The government warned that will take decisive measures to quell the uprising. At least seven people have died in the protests and about 1,000 have been arrested.