The espionage case of ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and 35 others has been adjourned to 20 September. Morsi, along with other leading figures of the Muslim Brotherhood, including its Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, are accused of collaborating with foreign organisations – namely Gaza rulers Hamas, an ideological offshoot of the Brotherhood – to commit acts of terrorism in Egypt. Cairo Criminal Court also issued permission for one of the defendants, Mohamed El-Beltagy, to be transferred to Manial hospital to undergo a medical operation. Twenty of the defendants are currently being detained while 16 others are still at large. On 6 September, prosecutors referred Morsi and nine others for trial on new charges of spying for Qatar. The accusations include leaking important national security documents to Qatari intelligence through the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel. Qatar was a strong supporter of Egypt during Morsi's rule and has been repeatedly accused by the current government – and several Gulf countries – of backing the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. However, seven Brotherhood affiliates in Qatar reportedly left the country upon the authorities' request, following a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Saudi Arabia in which the states reportedly discussed Qatar's position on the Brotherhood. Morsi, who was deposed by the military last July amid mass protests against his rule, faces a number of other charges in separate cases, including incitement to murder and breaking out of prison in 2011. Source : Ahram online
