Egypt's Mohammed Morsi was back in court Sunday, and if convicted this time, he could face the death penalty.
The country's first democratically elected president was confined to a soundproof cafe during the hearing — the first in a case alleging Morsi committed espionage and conspired with foreign militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. (Via BBC)
The Jerusalem Post explains prosecutors accuse Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood supporters of planning "to send 'elements' to the Gaza Strip for military training by Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards."
According to Los Angeles Times, prosecutors have dubbed it "the biggest conspiracy case in Egypt's history" — but one lacking evidence, according to some legal experts.
"The case itself has yet to be really fully explained by the government. There's certainly a number of charges, very very serious accusations, but there hasn't been any evidence whatsoever." (Via Al Jazeera)
Both Hamas and the Brotherhood have dismissed the allegations, as have Morsi's lawyers, who walked out of the hearing Sunday on grounds their client couldn't hear from inside his cage.
Al Ahram explains the soundproof cage was introduced to keep Morsi and the other defendents from disrupting the court proceedings. (Via Al Ahram)
Morsi has in previous trials reportedly shouted from inside his case that he remains Egypt's legitimate president. (Via Al-Alam)
This is actually Morsi's third trial since he was ousted by the military this summer. The country's current regime has also charged Morsi with inciting the killing of protesters outside the presidential palace in 2012 and escaping from prison in a 2011 jailbreak. (Via RT, CBS)
This trial has been adjourned until Feb. 23.
