Egypt adjourns Morsi’s espionage trial

A Cairo criminal court yesterday adjourned the trial of former President Mohamed Morsi, who was ousted in a military coup in 2013, until 13 September.

Prosecutors accuse Morsi and 23 other defendants of spying for foreign organisations and plotting to carry out terror attacks in the country, leaking Egyptian defence secrets to foreign countries and entities, funding terror and threatening Egyptian “independence, unity, and security”.

Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, is Egypt’s first-democratically elected president. He has been detained since he was ousted in a bloody military coup in 2013, and is facing a string of trials that are believed to be politically  motivated.

Read: Egyptian regime tortures Morsi to intimidate opposition

Hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members, supporters and sympathisers are being held behind bars after authorities rounded them up before outlawing the group.

The Brotherhood has repeatedly denied accusation of terrorism and reiterated its adherence to peaceful protest against the coup.