Morsi jailbreak trial adjourned to Sep 21

The Cairo Criminal Court adjourned to Sunday the trial of deposed president Mohamad Morsi and 130 others over the jailbreak from Wadi el-Natrun prison complex in northern Egypt in 2011, state-run MENA news agency reported Monday.

Morsi and his co-defendants, including many Muslim Brotherhood leaders, stand accused of escaping from Wadi el-Natrun prison Jan 28, 2011, during the opening days of the Jan 25 Revolution.

The charges relating to the prison break include damaging and setting fire to prison buildings, murder, attempted murder, and looting prison weapons depots.

The indicted are also accused of freeing "dangerous criminals", including members of the Hezbollah, Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and jihadis.

According to the prosecutions' investigations, the prison break occurred when 800 foreigners affiliated with Hamas and Hezbollah entered Egypt from Gaza through tunnels with heavy armaments, RPGs and mortars, which they used against police and government installations in the eastern border area and killed several policemen.

They later moved in three groups to attack Wadi el-Natrun prison in Beheira province and Abou Zaabal and Al-Marg prisons in Cairo, according to the prosecution, which they successfully broke into, killed over 50 policemen and prisoners, and freed their fellow members and 20,000 prisoners.

They also vandalised and stole police equipment, cars and arms and kidnapped four policemen.