Cairo Criminal Court has scheduled for 1 October the prosecution to make its case in the trial of 269 Egyptian protesters arrested during the crackdown on the Cabinet sit-in last December.
The 269 accused face charges of burning and destroying the Scientific Institute next to the Cabinet headquarters, as well as vandalism of the Cabinet headquarters itself and other public buildings around it. They also face charges of assaulting military and police officials.
Tens of supporters of the protesters gathered in front of the gates of the Police Academy in the district of New Cairo, where the court session took place.
Among those accused in the case is activist Ahmed Doma, who was arrested early January after investigation authorities claimed that protesters detained during the clashes confessed he had encouraged them to destroy public property.
Defence lawyers demanded the chief of the military police, Major General Hamdi Badeen, be summoned to court to give his testimony in the case.
At least 19 were killed and hundreds injured on the night of 16 December when army forces violently dispersed a sit-in staged by hundreds of protesters at the Cabinet headquarters from 25 November, protesting military rule and Kamal El-Ganzouri’s appointment as interim prime minister.
