Egypt Court Adjourns Al Jazeera Journalists' Trial To May 3

An Egyptian court on Tuesday adjourned until May 3 the trial of 20 people charged with "inciting violence," including a handful of journalists from Qatar's Al Jazeera news network, judicial sources said.



The defendants, including four foreign nationals, are accused of "fabricating news reports" with the aim of "tarnishing Egypt's image abroad."



Egyptian prosecutors have charged the defendants – including eight in custody and 12 in absentia – with belonging to a "terrorist" group and providing it with money, information and equipment.



They are also accused of "broadcasting lies and rumors."



Egyptian authorities arrested the journalists, some of whom work for Al Jazeera's English-language news service, late last December.



They have since been accused of broadcasting "unlicensed" material for Al Jazeera from a hotel in downtown Cairo. The Doha-based news network, for its part, emphatically denies the allegations.



Egypt's military-backed government has repeatedly accused Al Jazeera of harboring bias in favor of ousted president Mohamed Morsi – an assertion the network rejects.



By Sayed Fathi



englishnews@aa.com.tr - Kahire