An Egyptian court on Sunday postponed for a second time its verdict in the retrial of three Al-Jazeera journalists.

An Egyptian court on Sunday postponed for a second time its verdict in the retrial of three Al-Jazeera journalists accused of supporting banned Muslim Brotherhood supporters, rescheduling it for August 29.

The court had already put off its much anticipated verdict last Thursday because the judge was reportedly ill.

Another judge at Sunday's hearing said the verdict was being delayed again because other defendants in the trial could not be brought to the court room from their cells.

The case has deeply embarrassed the government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who has said he wishes the reporters were never put on trial. It comes as visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry holds talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukri.

A guilty verdict for the journalists, including Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed, may further embarrass the government, as it resumes close ties with Washington after a diplomatic rift in 2013.

Fahmy, Mohamed and Australian Peter Greste were convicted last year of "spreading false news" during coverage of the turmoil after the army, then led by Sisi, overthrew Brotherhood’s president Mohammad Mursi.

Fahmy and Greste, who has since been deported, received seven-year prison terms in the original trial, while Mohamed was jailed for 10 years.

The case further strained Egypt's ties with Western countries which had condemned a deadly crackdown on Mursi's supporters.

An appeals court ordered a retrial, saying the original judgment lacked evidence against the three journalists, who work for the Doha-based network's English channel.

The trial had come against the backdrop of a diplomatic spat between Egypt and Qatar, which supports Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood movement.