Egypt begins trial of Brotherhood leaders

[DJKeefy]

As their trial begins Monday, Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, along with other co-defendants charged with incitement to murder, has arrived at the courtroom in a prison compound on the outskirts of Cairo amid tight security, Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported.

Badie, as well as Brotherhood leaders Essam El-Erian and Mohamed El-Beltagy, are accused of inciting violence and murder in connection with armed clashes which left five dead in Giza on 15 July.

Among the 15 co-defendants in the case facing similar allegations are Salafist preacher Safwat Hegazy and Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya leader Assem Abdel-Maged.

The remaining defendants are accused of "terrorism, illegal assembly, murder, damaging private property and possession of weapons."

On 11 December, Badie, along with his deputies Khairat El-Shater and Rashad Bayoumi, will appear in court over separate charges of inciting the murder of nine protesters who stormed the Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters on 30 June, in the aftermath of massive nationwide protests against Islamist president Mohamed Morsi that culminated with his ouster by the military.

The trial was halted in late October after the judge said the court experienced "unease" over the case.

Monday marks Badie's first public appearance since his arrest in August, as none of the 35 accused had attended the first hearing due to security reasons.

The charges against the Brotherhood's top leaders are part of a clampdown campaign against the Islamist movement waged by the authorities since Morsi's 3 July ouster.

Hundreds of Morsi supporters have since been killed, and thousands others, including Morsi, have been detained.

The trial of Morsi, Egypt's first freely-elected president, on charges of inciting violence, is due to resume on 8 July. He made his first public sighting since his ouster in court on 4 November.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/88636.aspx

[Who2]

I see that the three pictured defendants 'sport the obligatory carpet burns or is it just applied toner ?……