Mursi murder trial to reconvene Wednesday

An Egyptian court will begin hearing testimonies in the murder trial of deposed Islamist President Mohammad Mursi on Wednesday, when a former top military officer will give evidence.

In a brief session on Tuesday, the court decided to convene again on Wednesday to hear testimony from the former head of the military’s Republican Guard, the unit tasked with providing security for Egypt’s presidents, Agence France-Presse reported.

Mursi was present in court on Tuesday, in a soundproof docket to prevent him from interrupting the court, as he has done in previous hearings.

Mursi is facing four separate trials, and at the first hearing of another trial on Jan. 28 the defiant Islamist insisted he was still the legitimate president of Egypt.

Mursi, dressed in white prison garb, gestured at the court with a four fingered salute, the symbol of Muslim Brotherhood supporters.

Mursi and 14 co-defendants, including former aides, are accused of inciting the killing of opposition activists outside the presidential palace in December 2012, an incident that hastened his overthrow by the military almost seven months later.

He could be sentenced to death if convicted on several of the charges, which include collusion with foreign groups and incitement to murder.

His supporters say the military-installed regime has brought trumped up charges.

(With AFP)