The British prime minister has ruled out an immediate ban on Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood despite branding some of the group members as “possible extremists”.

David Cameron made the comments following a long-delayed official inquiry into Muslim Brotherhood’s activities in Britain. “The organization will remain under review due to its highly ambiguous relationship with violent extremism”, he was quoted as saying.

The prime minister said that the review found the Brotherhood of having greater influence on Muslim groups in Britain as well as its support for the Palestinian movement, Hamas. 

“The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism,” Cameron said in a written ministerial statement to British lawmakers.”

Britain has come under constant pressure from Egypt and Saudi Arabia to ban the Muslim Brotherhood. A review of the group was launched under the former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia. The report by Sir John Jenkins delivers stronger findings under which London could end up banning the group.

Commenting on the review report, Cameron said that his government will be keeping a close watch on the views promoted by Muslim Brotherhood associates in Britain, as well as their activities. He added that the UK would continue to refuse visas to Brotherhood members and associates who are on record as having made extremist comments.

‘UK criticized’

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood has reacted angrily to Prime Minister Cameron’s comments. In a statement, the Brotherhood said the British prime minister’s position shows his support for a military overthrow of the democratically elected president in Egypt.  

"If Britain sees that peaceful protests and activities that reject the military coup, the killing of civilians and the detentions and disappearances as extremist then certainly Britain has a defect it needs to remedy," it said in a statement.

The Liberal Democrat leader has also criticized the review saying the UK should decide its action again the Egyptian group based on real and credible intelligence and not under pressure from Saudi Arabia.  Tim Farron said review had been asked for by the Saudi government and “shines a light into the shady corners of our relationship with the Kingdom.

The Muslim Brotherhood played a leading role in 2011 revolution in Egypt that led to the ouster of long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak. However, the group and its supporters have been under mounting pressure since the victory of Mohammad Morsi as the country’s president in the first democratic election in the country.

In July 2013, Morsi, who also hails from the Brotherhood, was ousted in a military coup led by the then military chief and current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The Brotherhood was later blacklisted as a terrorist organization by the Egyptian officials in a bid to prevent its affiliates from running in elections.

It was also labeled as terrorist organization by several countries despite the group’s peaceful participation in Egypt's democratic process.

The crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters has left over 1,400 people dead and 22,000 arrested, while hundreds have been sentenced to death in mass trials, according to human rights bodies. But the West including Britain has maintained its silence on grave human rights violations in Egypt.