Morsi trial adjourned until January

Ousted leader insists he remains president

The trial of ousted Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi has been adjourned until 8 January, following chaotic scenes at a criminal court hearing on 4 November.

Morsi's court appearance at the police academy outside Cairo was the first time he had been seen in public since his removal from office by the military in July. A defiant Morsi rejected the legitimacy of the case, repeatedly reminding the judges that he remains the president of Egypt.

Morsi also refused to wear the white jumpsuit traditionally worn by defendants, and was later taken to Burj al-Arab prison in Alexandria.

Along with 14 other Muslim Brotherhood figures Morsi faces charges of inciting violence including the killing of protesters outside the presidential palace in December 2012, following a decree that gave him sweeping powers.

Legal experts say that if convicted Morsi could be jailed for life or face the death penalty. The trial was originally scheduled to take place at Cairo's Tora prison but was switched to a police academy on the outskirts of the capital as part of security measures.

Since Morsi was ousted the country's interim government has cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood, banning the Islamist organisation, freezing its assets and arresting dozens of senior figures.

Photo BBC