Egypt deployed 20,000 police officers to protect Morsi's trial.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry has deployed 20,000 police officers to ensure security for the trial of ousted President Mohamed Morsi and 14 leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) organization, scheduled to take place on January 8.

A senior security source at the ministry said that more than 30 armored vehicles would also be deployed around the Police Academy headquarters in the eastern suburbs of Cairo amid rising unrest with numerous suicide bombings targeting police and military forces.

Riot police ensure security for the court hearing on November 4th. (Source: AFP/VNA)

Military helicopters are expected to transport Morsi from Borg al-Arab prison in Alexandria to the trial site.

Morsi and 14 accomplices, including two senior MB leaders, Mohamed El-Beltagi and Essam El-Erian, were accused of inciting violence and murdering opposition protesters outside the Presidential Palace in December 2012.

If found guilty, Morsi could face life imprisonment or the death penalty. The first hearing took place on November 4 as planned, despite security concerns.

However, after the trial had been underway for a few minutes, the presiding judge announced a postponement after two interruptions caused by the defendants chanting slogans protesting the trial and the military.

Former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi was ousted by military order on July 3rd following a wave of massive anti-government protests that drew millions of participants across the country.

In addition to the aforementioned trial, Morsi also faces two other trials on charges of organizing a prison break, kidnapping and murdering police officers in early 2011, as well as espionage and aiding and abetting terrorist activities.

According to analysts, the trial of Morsi on January 8th could provoke a wave of protests and increase instability at a time when Egypt is preparing to hold a referendum on a new constitution on January 14-15.

Earlier, on January 6, the National Alliance for Legitimacy (NASL) – a force led by the Muslim Brotherhood that brings together 34 political parties and Islamist movements fighting for Morsi's reinstatement – ​​called on its supporters to escalate protests against the trial.

In a statement, the Islamist alliance emphasized: "The coup has collapsed and victory is near. People will take to the streets en masse to participate in million-person demonstrations both at home and abroad."

In addition, NASL also plans to organize a sit-in protest in Tahrir Square in central Cairo until January 15th, aiming to disrupt security forces.

In another development, the Egyptian Central Election Commission (SEC) announced on January 8 that approximately 681,000 Egyptian voters living abroad would begin casting their ballots on the new constitution.

Of these, nearly 313,000 people (45% of Egyptian expatriates) registered to vote in Saudi Arabia. Voting abroad will take place from January 8-12, and vote counting will be conducted from January 13-15. Following this, approximately 54 million voters out of the country's 85 million residents will participate in the referendum on January 14-15.

Meanwhile, Egypt's Ministry of Social Solidarity announced that 40 domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 7 foreign NGOs have been licensed to monitor the upcoming referendum on the new constitution.

According to VNA