CAIRO (AA) – A military court in the Egyptian province of Suez has set November 4 as the date on which it will deliver its verdict in the trial of eight supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi charged with involvement in recent acts of violence.
"At today's session, the defense team submitted evidence proving the defendants did not commit any wrongdoing," defense lawyer Helmi Morsi told Anadolu Agency following Tuesday's session.
It is the third trial involving pro-Morsi protesters to be held before a Suez military court in recent months.
In September, a Suez military court slapped 64 Morsi backers with jail terms of varying length – including one life sentence – for alleged involvement in earlier attacks on military personnel and churches.
Many of the defendants were members of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and the Gamaa Islamiya group in Suez.
Also in September, a military court sentenced three Brotherhood leaders in absentia to three years in prison each for "inciting violence."
Defendants in the third and latest trial face the same set of charges, namely, attacking army personnel and property and inciting violence against churches following the August 14 dispersal of two pro-Morsi sit-ins in which hundreds of demonstrators were gunned down by security forces.
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