The Giza Criminal Court, headed by Judge Mohamed Sherien Fahmy, requested the court hall be emptied of journalists on Thursday, citing national security concerns. The court was to hear the testimony of Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces and the former director of Military Intelligence, Mahmoud Hegazy, in the case publicly known as "espionage for Qatar".
Only lawyers were present in the hall.
Toppled President Mohamed Morsi and 10 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders are being tried in the case over charges of espionage for a foreign country, as well as joining a terrorist group.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
