The Cairo Criminal Court held a session Tuesday for defendants accused of murdering former prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat. The case includes 67 defendants and was postponed to 30 August. Defendants are facing several charges that include establishing an illegal group, executing hostile operations against judges, army, and police officers, targeting diplomatic headquarters, and aiming to destroy state institutions. Only 51 of them are detained while others are tried in absentia. The court is in the process of examining evidence of the case. According to Tuesday media reports, the court viewed videotaped confessions of the defendants, who in turn claimed to have been compelled to do so under the threat of force. A detailed report of Tuesday's session published by state-owned media Akhbar Al-Youm said the defendants demanded medical examinations on claims that they were tortured to confess dictated statements. The report added that the families of the defendants were allowed to attend the court session. Barakat was assassinated in a bomb attack on his convoy on 29 June 2015. The Ministry of Interior previously established that the operation was planned by the terrorist-declared Muslim Brotherhood with the help of Hamas.
