The trial of 20 journalists, including nine working for Al Jazeera, has been adjourned to March 9, 2014, an Egyptian court said
The adjournment aims at giving defence lawyers time to examine the case documents, according to the court.The prosecution representative accused the defendants, who include four foreigners, of harming Egypt’s national interests by allegedly spreading false news and assisting a terrorist organization, in reference to the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood
Defence lawyers requested to have access to the documents and evidence related to the case.
Lawyers also asked the court to release the defendants pending the trial, the online edition of state-run newspaper al-Ahram reported.
Eight of the accused, including Australian Peter Greste, are in detention. The others, including two Britons and a Dutch national, are being tried in absentia. The trial was being held at a makeshift courtroom in a police institution in southern Cairo.
Peter Greste, a former BBC correspondent, and two Egyptians journalists — Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed — were detained at a Cairo hotel in December, 2013.
