Morsi’s trial over espionage charges postponed to March 26
A court in Egypt has adjourned the trial of the country’s first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsi, on charges of endangering national security by leaking state secrets to Qatar.
On Wednesday, the Cairo criminal court postponed the hearing of Morsi and 10 other Muslim Brotherhood defendants on charges of espionage and leaking classified documents to the Qatari intelligence and Aljazeera news network to March 26.
The documents that the court accuses Morsi of leaking to Qatar allegedly include information on Egypt’s army, military dispositions and armaments, as well as additional information on the country’s domestic and foreign policies.
Last September, Attorney General Hesham Barakat ordered the defendants to be referred to the court following investigations by the Supreme State Security Prosecution.
Among the defendants are the former head of Morsi’s office, Ahmed Abdel-Ati, and secretary Ameen al-Serafi, along with journalists from Arabic-language Aljazeera news network and Muslim Brotherhood’s Misr 25 satellite channel. They will be sentenced to death if found guilty.
Meanwhile, Morsi and 24 others are also to stand trial on May 23 on charges of insulting Egypt's judiciary.
Among the defendants are activist, Alaa Abdel Fattah, renowned political science professor and former member of parliament, Amr Hamzawy, as well as human rights lawyer, Amir Salem.
The deposed Egyptian president and the others have been reportedly accused of making comments on social media and in interviews, deriding the court rulings.
The Egyptian government has been cracking down on any opposition since Morsi was ousted. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has been accused of leading the suppression of Morsi supporters, as hundreds of them have been killed in clashes with Egyptian security forces over the past year.
Rights groups say the army’s crackdown on the supporters of Morsi has led to the deaths of over 1,400 people and the arrest of 22,000 others, including some 200 people who have been sentenced to death in mass trials.
XLS/MP/HMV/SS
Egypt’s Sisi sworn in for third term as president
Egypt will not allow forced displacement of Palestinians: Sisi
Egypt released senior Daesh leader behind major attack in Sinai: Report
Russia’s Navalny died of ‘natural causes’ not on Putin’s order, report says
Iran warns against threat of terrorism to regional, global security
Tracing the origins of Zionist lobby’s malign influence on American academia
VIDEO | Drone footage captures aftermath of deadly Kenyan flood
Explainer: What is Persian Gulf Day and what are its origins and significance?
VIDEO | 'Ceasefire now!' - Pro-Palestinian motorcade drives through Rotterdam
Malala slammed for collaboration with Clinton, cheerleader of Gaza genocide
IRGC: 10 countries aided Israel to repel Iran 'True Promise', but to no avail
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
