A military court decided on Tuesday to adjourn the trial of three army officers who are accused of killing protesters in October outside the state television building, known as Maspero, to 20 March.

Judicial sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm that on Tuesday the court viewed footage showing an armored military vehicle running over protesters and heard testimony from witnesses. It will continue to hear witness testimonies in the next session on 20 March.

The three defendants in the case are 21-year-olds Mahmoud Suleiman and Karam Hamed and 22-year-old Mahmoud Taha. The men are charged with manslaughter, a misdemeanor carrying a maximum prison sentence of seven years.

Twenty-eight people, including one soldier, were killed during violent clashes between military and mostly Coptic protesters outside Maspero on 9 October. Armored vehicles ran over peaceful protesters, killing at least 14.

The trial of the three soldiers began in December.

The Maspero Youth Union, a Coptic activist group, has criticized the decision to refer investigations to military prosecutors, arguing that the military itself is accused of assaulting protesters.

Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm