Morsi's trial over espionage adjourned till Feb 27

A court in Egypt Sunday adjourned the trial of former president Mohamed Morsi along with 35 others over espionage charges till Feb 27.

The other defendants, including Muslim Brotherhood supreme leader Mohamed Badei and his two deputies Khairat al-Shater and Mahmoud Ezzat, former parliament speaker Saad al-Katatni and others, rejected lawyers assigned to defend them, Xinhua reported citing official news agency MENA.

The defendants are accused of spying for foreign bodies including Palestinian Hamas movement to carry out terrorist acts in Egypt.

Speaking from inside a glass cage, the defendants said that they had the right to choose their defending team.

On Feb 16, presiding judge Shaaban El-Shami asked for mandating ten lawyers for the defendants, as their previous lawyers withdrew to protest against putting Morsi and his Brotherhood members inside a glass cage during the trial, deeming it as illegal procedures.

The pubic prosecution said Morsi and 35 leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood were guilty of collaborating with foreign organisations and countries to harm the Egypt's interests.

Morsi also faces two other charges, one for the killing of protestors during his presidency, and one for jailbreak and attacks on police during 2011 revolt.

His trial over jailbreak will be resumed Monday.

Morsi is also expected to go on trial for "insulting the judiciary", but the date has not been yet set for the case.

--Indo-Asia News Service

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