Two leading Islamist figures and two field hospital doctors from a pro-Morsi sit-in in Cairo were referred on Wednesday to criminal court on several charges, including an attempted murder for assaulting a police officer.
The Egyptian prosecution ordered the referral of senior Brotherhood figure Mohamed El-Beltagi, Islamist preacher Safwat Hegazy and two field hospital doctors from Cairo's Rabaa Al-Adawiya sit-in to criminal court for allegedly attempting to detain and assault low-rank officer Mohamed Farouk during a pro-Morsi march in July.
According to the prosecution, Farouk was captured by the defendants while securing the pro-Morsi march. He was then taken to the Rabaa Al-Adawiya sit-in, where he was severely beaten, the prosecution added.
The charges also include "acts of thuggery" and "forming a gang-like organisation to hinder law enforcement."
The four are presumed to be present at the Rabaa sit-in.
The Egyptian government has repeatedly accused Rabaa protesters of carrying out "terrorist acts" against their opponents inside the sit-in.
Several other Brotherhood figures are also being prosecuted for inciting violence in past clashes following their arrest after Morsi's ouster by the military on 3 July after mass protests against him.
The Muslim Brotherhood and its Islamist allies have been holding a mass sit-in for five weeks to press for Morsi's reinstatement.
Tensions have been running high in Egypt amid calls for Morsi supporters to end their Cairo sit-ins and return to the political process. Morsi's camp has remained defiant in the face of government orders and interior ministry threats to disband.
