Minya Criminal Court put off to March 1 the retrial of 364 defendants of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group over charges of rioting in the town of Matai in Minya governroate.

The decision was taken to complete listening to witnesses and statements of the defendants.

The defendants are accused of storming a police station, killing a senior police officer and inciting violence against the police and army following the dispersal of Rabaa Al Adawiya sit-in on August 14, 2013.

In December 2013, Egypt designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, blaming it for a raft of acts in the country.

On April 28, 2014, the court had sentenced 37 defendants to death and 491 to life in prison with hard labor over the case. The cassation court accepted their challenges against the rulings and ordered a retrial before another judicial circuit at the criminal court.

Source: MENA