The Cairo Criminal Court postponed, Sunday, the trial of 25 defendants including activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah in the case known in media as the "Shura Council incident" to 11 June, due to the absence of an ill judge.
The Cairo Court of Appeal has turned down a request by the defendants to change the judges.
The defendants are being tried over charges of demonstrating in front of the Shura Council without a permit, assaulting security forces, assembling, possessing bladed weapons, disrupting the interests of citizens and putting them at risk, blocking the road, thuggery and assaulting public servants while carrying out their duties.
The prosecutor has also accused Abdel-Fattah of stealing a radio from a police officer under duress in conjunction with the rest of the defendants.
According to investigations, Abdel-Fattah assaulted a police officer in charge of securing the headquarters of the Shura Council and seized his radio, assisted by the rest of the defendants before he escaped.
The public prosecutor examined Abdel Fattah's laptop which showed he called for demonstrations in front of the Shura Council, according to investigations.
Abdel Fattah and other activists staged a demonstration outside the Shura Council on 26 November 2013 against a law regulating protests and military trials for civilians in the Constitution.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
