Egypt courts extend jail time, set trial dates for Brotherhood leaders

The courts extended jail time and set new hearing dates for several Muslim Brotherhood leaders on Monday, notably including former President Mohamed Morsi.

Morsi will spend another 30 days behind bars, after the Cairo Court of Appeals extended his detention on charges that he helped orchestrate a mass jail break from the Wadi al-Natrun Prison on January 30 2011 while incarcerated there.

A Suez court has also accused Hamas and Hezbollah of being involved in the prison break.

Morsi is currently detained at Alexandria’s Borg al-Arab Prison on several charges, including inciting Islamist protesters to attack crowds demonstrating against him at the Ettehadiya Presidential Palace in December 2012.

Brotherhood Deputy Supreme Guide Khairat al-Shater’s appeal has been postponed to November 17. Shater and 17 others were accused of financing protesters and inciting violence at Rabea al-Adaweya Square this summer, while they themselves were not present at the sit-in. His fellow defendants include Brotherhood lawyer Ahmed Abu Baraka, spokesperson Ahmed Aref and Essam Sultan.

Also on Monday, Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie’s court date was set for December 9. He is accused of involvement in violent clashes on July 15 at Nahda Square.

His predecessor Mahdi Akef had a court date set for December 10 on charges of insulting the judiciary.