Morsi trial adjoured to Thursday

An Egyptian court adjourned to Thursday the trial on conspiracy charges of deposed president Mohamed Morsy and 35 other Islamists after some defence lawyers asked the judges to recuse themselves.

Prosecutors charge that Morsy and 35 other Islamists, including key leaders in the Muslim Brotherhood, agreed with the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah movements to carry out terrorist operations that would “create chaos to bring down the Egyptian state and its institutions.” They are also accused of involvement in smuggling arms into Egypt and disclosing state information that harmed the country’s independence.

On Sunday, lawyers for two of the defendants asked the judges to recuse themselves, saying there was “an appearance of animosity” between the bench and their clients after a similar request was made in a related trial on Saturday.

A court-appointed lawyer for Morsy also asked for records on the former president’s arrest and imprisonment.