Cairo Criminal Court, headed by Judge Shaaban al-Shamy resumed on Thursday the trial of toppled President Mohamed Morsy over charges of storming prisons during the 25 January revolution.
One hundred thirty one defendants including Morsy, Muslim Brotherhood leaders, Hamas and Hezbollah members are tried over same charges.
In Thursday's session, MB leaders, who are being tried along with Morsy, chanted "Hold on, hero. Your detention frees the homeland" in reference to Morsy.
They then gave their backs to the judges. The court had, in a previous session, punished 21 MB leaders for giving their backs to the judge and raising the Rabaa sign in dock, considering it an insult to the court.
Prosecutors accuse Morsy of spying for Hamas and providing its members with information concerning the Egyptian security situation during the 25 January revolution. They also accused him of helping detained Hamas members in Egyptian prisons escape during the January uprising.
Investigators accused the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood of committing violence in Egypt to create chaos and planning a terrorist scheme to form an alliance between the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and other foreign extremist organizations including the military wing of the Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which has links to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and other local and foreign organizations.
The group also allegedly smuggled weapons and members to Gaza via tunnels with the help of Hamas for the purpose of military training.
The suspects also allegedly gathered with other members of extremist groups in Sinai for training on how to spread propaganda to achieve the goals of the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to investigators, the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood funded criminal schemes in its Egypt branch, which was started in 2005 and resumed during the 2011 revolution, to assault security forces and arming citizens.
Prosecution also accused suspects of preparing to gain control of security establishments in Sinai and declare it an Islamic state in the case that Morsy did not win the presidential elections.
Haddad and other presidential team members are accused of sharing confidential reports meant for review by the president to the Muslim Brotherhood and other foreign authorities as an award for carrying out terrorist operations and assisting the Brotherhood in Egypt until it assumed power.
Some of the reports were sent by the presidency’s email indicating that Morsy was informed, investigations said.
Investigators also stated that the foreign groups carried out attacks against police and armed forces in Sinai to intimidate Egyptians and destabilize the country in order to reinstate Morsy.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
