Hamas rejects charges against it in Morsi trial

The Islamic Hamas movement, which controls the Gaza Strip, Tuesday described accusations raised against it during the trial of Egypt's ousted president Mohammed Morsi as "a silly play".

Morsi, a Hamas patron, who was ousted by the military in response to massive protests against him last year, appeared in the court to face charges of receiving aid from foreign groups, including Hamas, to escape from prison in 2011, Xinhua reported.

"We deny all accusations against Hamas which the Egyptian prosecution raised (Tuesday) today," Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesperson, said.

"This is a silly play to implicate Hamas in Egypt's internal affairs."

At least 21 Muslim Brotherhood members, including Morsi, appeared in the court out of 130 suspects in the prison escape incident, which took place during the Jan 25 uprising that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Most of the defendants, being tried in absentia, were Palestinians affiliated to Hamas or Lebanese affiliated to Hezbollah.