CAIRO, Sept 15 (Aswat Masriya) – The Cairo Criminal Court postponed on Monday the trial of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and 130 others for escaping from the Wadi al-Natroun prison to September 21.

The Muslim Brotherhood leaders are accused of collaborating with international bodies, the Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, to escape prison during the January 25 uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

The court summoned once again a list of witnesses to testify during the next session, as per the defence team's request. Witnesses include; former Supreme Council of the Armed Forces member Hassan al-Ruwaini, former military police head Hamdy Badeen and former State Security Head Hassan Abdel Rahman.

Abdel Rahman is awaiting a court ruling in his trial over complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising. 

Mursi and the 130 other defendants are charged with murder and attempted murder of policemen, torching government buildings, breaking into prison and helping prisoners escape. Some of the defendants, including members of Hamas and Hezbollah, are being tried in absentia.

The former president, ousted since July 2013, is implicated in a group of other court cases. He is being tried for inciting the killing of protesters outside the presidential palace during his tenure in December 2012, insulting the judiciary, and espionage.

Mursi, two of his aides and eight others were referred to trial on September 7 over new espionage charges which involve leaking classified national intelligence to the Qatari intelligence.

The prosecutor general's office said Mursi, the head of his presidential office Ahmed Abdelatti and his personal secretary  Amin al-Srifi leaked the intelligence with the help of eight "spies" and in exchange for a million dollars, adding that they were carrying out the instructions of the "terrorist" Muslim Brotherhood international organisation.