A group of 48 Muslim Brotherhood defendants including Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie appeared at an initial court hearing held before the Shubra Al-Kheima Criminal Court on Monday. Badie appeared at the trial held at the Police Academy in New Cairo with other senior Brotherhood members including Essam El-Erian, Mohamed El-Beltagy and Sawfat Hagazy. The defendants face charges of blocking traffic, damaging public and private property, possession of illegal weapons, and attacking and terrorising citizens to threaten national peace and spread chaos during July protests in the city of Qaluib, located on the northern edge of the Cairo metropolitan area, according to state-run Al-Ahram. Al-Ahram reported that the trial will likely take place over several court sessions. Badie is the defendant in a number of other ongoing trials, including an indictment for killing protesters on 30 June and 1 July during deadly clashes outside the Muslim Brotherhood's headquarters in Cairo's Moqattam neighbourhood. Badie is also a co-defendant in two trials that include deposed president Mohamed Morsi. Badie, Morsi and 34 other Muslim Brotherhood leaders are charged with spying for the "International Organization of the Muslim Brotherhood and its armed wing" from 2005 to 2013 by revealing classified information. They also face charges, along with 129 defendants, for escaping from Wadi El-Natrun Prison on 28 January 2011.
