Egypt's Morsi stands trial over espionage

Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi arrived in court Sunday over charges of espionage and conspiring to commit acts of terror along with 35 others.

Morsi, who is currently kept at Borg al-Arab Prison in Alexandria city, was ousted by the military in July 2013 following mass street protests against his rule.

The suspects include Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide Mohamed Badei and his two deputies Khairat al-Shater and Mahmoud Ezzat, former parliament speaker Saad al-Katatni and others.

The Brotherhood has been declared a terrorist organisation last year.

They are accused of collaborating with foreign bodies, spying for the international organisation of the Muslim Brotherhood, its military wing and the (Palestinian) Hamas movement to carry out terrorist acts in Egypt, Xinhua reported citing official news agency MENA.

The former Islamist president also faces other lawsuits over charges of jailbreak, inciting violence and murdering protestors outside the presidential palace in December 2012.

Morsi will also face trial over insulting the judiciary, but the date has not been set yet.

The hearing was held at the Police Academy complex here, where a heavy security presence stands guard.

Security forces would be deployed around the academy to ban any attempts by the Muslim Brotherhood elements to disrupt the trial proceedings, a source said.