The North Cairo Criminal Court, held at the Police Academy, ordered the suspension of the espionage lawsuit, involving deposed President Mohamed Morsy and other 35 Muslim Brotherhood suspects, until the judge replacement request is reviewed.
Calm prevailed around the academy during the trial. High security measures were taken inside and outside, amid absence of the Brotherhood supporters from the area around the premises as well as streets leading to it.
Police and military vehicles were stationed in front of gate no. 8, allocated for entrance of media professionals, journalists and lawyers. Detectives were seen around the fence of the academy to prevent access of any of the group members to inside or attempt to ruin the trial.
The suspects affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood also include the group’s Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, his deputies Khairat al-Shater, Mahmoud Ezzat and former Speaker of Parliament Saad al-Katatny, leaders Mohamed al-Beltagy, Essam al-Erian and Saad al-Husseiny, former Chief of Staff Mohamed Refaa al-Tahtawy, his deputy Assad al-Sheika, the director of Morsy’s office Ahmed Abdel Aaty and 25 other members of the group.
Defense of the suspects earlier requested replacement of the court panel, presided over by Shaaban al-Shamy.
The lawyers claimed that request was based on suspicions of enmity between the court panel and the suspects.
Hussein Abdel Salam, lawyer defending Ayman Ali, the former presidential adviser, who is involved in the lawsuit, said he advised the suspects not to hinder the trial procedures and move on the glass cage issue.
Abdel Salam also expected the request to be declined, saying the reasons included are illegal.
"The glass cage issue, on which the request mainly depended, is of the court's authorities. We should stop at this too much, in order to be used as a reason for challenge in case the suspects were convicted," he added.
The court earlier decided to delegate 10 lawyers from the Lawyers Syndicate to defend the suspects.
Defense team, headed by Mohamed Selim al-Awa, had earlier decided to withdraw from the trial saying their request to remove the glass cage, where the suspects are kept was rejected.
“We cannot continue in such court, where suspects are isolated in a glass cage without being able to hear anything,” Awa added.
Inter alia, prosecutors accused Morsy of espionage for Hamas and providing its members with information about the Egyptian security situation during the 25 January revolution. They also accused him of helping detained Hamas members in Egyptian prisons to escape during the January uprising.
Edited translation from MENA, Anadolu and Al-Masry Al-Youm
