Ousted President Morsi's trial set to take place today was postponed until Feb. 1 due to officials citing fog as a reason for the helicopter's cancelled take off, the Associated Press reported.
Morsi is being held outside the city of Alexandria in a high-security prison and needs to be transported by helicopter to Cairo for each hearing because Egyptian law states a criminal defendant must be present in court for the hearing to proceed, according to the AP.
According to Borg el-Arab airport's website, sky traffic was normal on Wednesday with only one flight to Saudi Arabia cancelled, the AP reported. Though some fog was present early Wednesday morning in Cairo, it is considered normal around this time of year.
Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim spoke to Egypt's CBC television station stating "a helicopter due to transport Morsi had been ready, but thick fog prevented the helicopter from taking off," according to the AP.
The ousted president is being charged for "inciting the murder of protesters" after pro-Morsi supporters clashed with protesters opposing his rule during a sit-in, the AP reported.
According to two defense lawyers representing Morsi and 13 other leading Muslim Brotherhood members the government is trying to keep Morsi out of the public eye before the referendum set to occur on Jan. 14-15 in fear it will excite Morsi supporters, according to the AP.
"The decision was inspired by the political circumstances- which require that he doesn't appear," defense lawyer Osama el-Helw said, according to the AP. Addings that Morsi's "appearance will inspire his supporters.
The court session was held in a makeshift hall in the Cairo police academy and only last a couple minutes before the judge postponed the hearing until Feb. 1, the AP reported.
Other Brotherhood prisoners who were also to stand trial for killing of protesters were placed in the court cells last night and made to wait for hours, the AP reported.
Outside the courts, Morsi supporters and security forces violently confronted each other and a total of 17 protesters were arrested, the AP reported. Another 15 pro-Morsi were arrested in nearby Nasr City where the Brotherhood has a firm hold, according to Ibrahim.
Morsi's cancelled hearing was scheduled about a week before voting on a new constitution to replace the 2012 charter created when Morsi was in power, and about 680,000 Egyptians living abroad began voting on the changes on Wednesday, the AP reported.
If all goes well, the interim government plans to hold parliamentary and presidential elections next year, according to the AP.
