Morsi's retrial in jailbreak case adjourned to Jan.6

CAIRO - 26 December 2018: The retrial of former President Mohamed Morsi in the case of storming prisons during the January 25 Revolution in 2011, known in the media as jailbreak, was adjourned to January 6, 2019.

Wednesday's hearing was exceptional as it witnessed for the first time,former presidents Mohamed Hosni Mubarak and Mohamed Morsi faced each other at the Egyptian Criminal Court on Wednesday, where Mubarak testified.

During the session, Mubarak was asked about what he knows about the smuggling tunnels and the role of Muslim Brotherhood members are accused of role in the jailbreak that took place following the outbreak of the mass protests, and led to many prisoners' escape. Mubarak refrained from answering many questions, saying he knows "sensitive details that were never made public," and that he needs a permission from the Armed Forces before he speaks. "I do not want to get in trouble when I leave the court today," Mubarak told the judge.

In June 2015, Cairo Criminal Court issued a death sentence in the case against Morsi, MB supreme guide Mohamed Badie and other key figures of the terrorist group. However, in November 2016, the Court of Cassation annulled the sentence and ordered a retrial of the defendants.

Morsi and other co-defendants face charges of damaging and setting fire to prison buildings, murder and attempted murder, and looting prison weapons depots while allowing prisoners from the Hamas, Lebanon's Hezbollah, jihadists, and other criminals to break out of jails.

The charges are linked to the escape of more than 20,000 inmates from three Egyptian prisons during the early days of the 2011 revolution.

Others accused in the prison break case include senior Brotherhood leaders Mohamed Saad el Katatni, Essam el Erian and Mohamed el Beltagy.