Morsi rejects Egypt court's authority ahead of trial

Ahead of his trial next week, ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi has rejected the authority of the court that will hear his case related to the murder of 10 people during protests against his regime.
"Contrary to media myths about elected President Morsi's defence team, he does not recognise the authority of the court," the Anti-Coup Alliance, led by the Muslim Brotherhood, said in a statement.
"No lawyers will be defending president Mohamed Morsi, neither Egyptians nor foreigners, because the president does not recognise the trial or any action and processes that result from the coup," the statement said.
Morsi, 62, will go on trial on November 4 with 14 others for incitement to murder in connection with deadly clashes between his supporters and opponents outside the presidential palace in Cairo in December 2012.

The clashes broke out between Morsi loyalists and his opponents after he passed a temporary decree placing his decisions above judicial review. Six months later Morsi was ousted by the powerful military.
Since his July 3 ouster, Morsi has been held by the army in an undisclosed location.

The statement said that Morsi's legal team was preparing for lawyers to attend the trial to observe proceedings, not to defend him.
Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected leader, was overthrown after a year-long rule amid massive protests against him and his Islamist party, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Meanwhile, the three judges presiding the trial of Muslim Brotherhood chief Mohamed Badie and his aides withdrew from the proceedings today, citing "reasons of conscience".

Badie and his two deputies, Khairat al-Shater and Rashad al-Bayoumi, face charges related to the deaths of protesters who stormed the Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters on June 30.
"The judges are retiring from this case for reasons of conscience and the accused must remain in detention," head judge Mohammed Fahmy al-Qarmuty told the court at the start of the session.