Egypt’s top court began a retrial Thursday of ex-president Hosni Mubarak over the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him, but postponed the hearing after a brief session.

Egypt's top court began a retrial Thursday of ex-president Hosni Mubarak over the deaths of protesters during the 2011 uprising that ousted him, but postponed the hearing after a brief session.

The Court of Cassation postponed the retrial to January 21.

In June 2012 a court had convicted the 87-year-old, who ruled Egypt with an iron fist for three decades, for the deaths of hundreds of protesters and sentenced him to life in prison.

But that verdict was appealed and a new trial ordered. On November 29 last year, the judge in the case dropped the charges.

The prosecution appealed that ruling, and the Court of Cassation overturned it, ordering the retrial that commenced on Thursday.

The Court of Cassation itself is conducting the retrial and its ruling will not be subject to appeal.

Mubarak has been held for months in a military hospital in Cairo due to ill health, his lawyer Fareed al-Deeb said.

Judge Ahmed Abdel Kawy adjourned the retrial "to take necessary measures and procedures to move the trial to a suitable place and bring the defendant".

Deeb told AFP that his client is serving a three-year sentence handed down in a separate trial that saw him convicted of embezzling 125 million Egyptian pounds ($16 million) from funds meant for the maintenance of presidential palaces.

Mubarak and his two sons Alaa and Gamal were all arrested in 2011, months after the former strongman was toppled in a popular 18-day uprising.