Cairo court sets Jan. 28 for Morsi’s new trial

Egypt’s ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, is set to go on a new trial later this month over a jailbreak at the start of the popular uprising against former dictator, Hosni Mubarak.

The Cairo Appeals Court has set January 28, 2014, as the date for the new trial, judicial sources said on Thursday.

About 130 other people will also face trial along with Morsi, who has been accused of murder after he escaped from jail in January 2011.

This will be the third trial for Morsi since his ouster by the military in early July last year.

The deposed leader is already on trial for allegedly inciting the killings of opposition activists during his one year in power.

This comes as the army-backed interim government has stepped up its clampdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been spearheading protests against the July “military coup” and leading protests demanding Morsi’s reinstatement.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian Justice Ministry said a ministerial inventory committee had ordered the assets of 572 Muslim Brotherhood leaders to be confiscated.

Leaders on the list include Morsi, and his family, as well as provincial Brotherhood leaders and members of its General Guidance Bureau, the group’s executive body.

The announcement came days after Cairo officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood a “terrorist” organization, linking the group to recent attacks on security forces without investigating or providing any evidence backing its claim.

The designation could mean death sentences for the movement’s convicted leaders and five-year jail terms for protesters.