Former Egyptian president Mohammad Mursi and 198 Islamist leaders and supporters will stand trial in a military court over deadly protests that followed his overthrow, a prosecution source said Tuesday.

Former Egyptian president Mohammad Mursi and 198 Islamist leaders and supporters will stand trial in a military court over deadly protests that followed his overthrow, a prosecution source said Tuesday.

Mursi, an Islamist who was toppled by the army in July 2013, already faces four trials but it will be the first before a military judge.

Military tribunals have been criticized for their harsh and swift verdicts.

The leader of Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammad Badie, is also among the defendants in the trial, which will start on February 23, the official MENA news agency reported.