(AFP FILE PHOTO / TAREK EL-GABASS)
The Saturday trial of deposed president Mohamed Morsi for escaping Wadi El-Natrun Prison in January 2011 was postponed until 29 October, State media reporting Morsi does not recognise the trial.
State media also reported that Morsi has described the process as “lacking jurisdiction and authority”.
At court, Morsi saluted the court members and addressed the attendees demanding the Egyptian people to continue their resistance saying, “the coup will be over”.
The charges relating to the prison break include: damaging and setting fire to prison buildings, murder, attempted murder, and looting prison weapons depots at three separate Egyptian prisons.
Morsi’s co-defendants in the case include Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, Freedom and Justice Party General Secretary Mohamed Al-Beltagy, and controversial preacher Safwat Hegazy.
According to the prosecutions’ investigations, the prison break occurred when 800 foreigners affiliated with Hamas and Hezbollah confronted police and government personnel on Egypt’s eastern border. The investigation states that the 800 entered Egypt from Gaza through tunnels carrying heavy armaments–including RPGs and mortars– and that they killed several policemen during the altercation.
According the prosecution, the group later separated into three fragments, to attack Wadi El-Natrun Prison in Beheira Governorate and Abou Zaabal and Al-Marg prisons in Cairo. They are accused of killing over 50 policemen and prisoners at the prisons and freeing another 20,000 prisoners. They also vandalised and stole police equipment, cars, and arms and kidnapped four policemen, said the prosecution.
Morsi is also a co-defendant in three other trials: escaping from Wadi El-Natrun Prison on 28 January 2011, insulting the judiciary, and for espionage for working with foreign Islamist groups to “create chaos” in Egypt.
Morsi has been in custody since his ouster by the military on 3 July. He has yet to receive a verdict in any of his trials.
