Ex-Egypt president's trial adjourned to Jan 8

The trial of Egypt's deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi has been adjourned to Jan 8, 2014, the presiding judge said Monday.

The trial, held at the Police Academy in the eastern New Cairo neighbourhood, was suspended twice Monday due to chants by the Muslim Brotherhood defendants against the court and the army, Xinhua reported.

"I'm the president. The coup is a humiliation and a crime. I'm here by force against my will," Morsi told judges at the end of the trial, urging the court to "try the coup leader".

Earlier, Morsi arrived in the courthouse in his private clothes having refused to wear the uniform worn by those in preventive detention.

Sources inside the courthouse said the presiding judge asked Morsi to wear the uniform, but he refused.

It was Morsi's first public appearance since he was toppled by the Egyptian military July 3 in response to massive nationwide protests against his one-year rule. He has been kept at an undisclosed location after his arrest.

Egypt is on high alert for the trial and nearly 20,000 policemen have been deployed to deal with any outbreak of violence.

In November 2012, Morsi issued a decree giving himself sweeping powers, prompting opponents to accuse him of betraying the ideals of the anti-Mubarak revolution.

A month later, deadly clashes erupted outside the presidential palace between the supporters and the opponents of the president. Morsi is facing allegations of inciting the violence.