Criminal court tries at least 25 top officials who served under Mubarak

The trial of at least 25 top officials who served under former Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak has started at a criminal court complex in the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The defendants included high-ranking members of the former government, most notably former secretary of Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP), ex-chairman of the Upper House and the former parliament speaker.

They are all accused of corruption and killing anti-regime protesters during the revolution that toppled Mubarak early in 2011.

The defendants allegedly organized gangs of camel riders, who attacked protesters camped out in Cairo's Liberation Square in early February. The case and trial is known in the local media as the "Battle of the Camel."

All defendants have denied the charges.

Meanwhile, the chief of Egypt's ruling military council refused to testify in the trial.

The testimony of Field Marshal Hussein Tantawias a witness at the trial has been postponed to September 24, judicial sources said Sunday.

Tantawi, who is the de facto head of state since the fall of Mubarak, is one of the highest profile witnesses called to testify at Mubarak's trial, which has grabbed widespread regional attention.

The sources said that following the postponing of Tantawi's testimony, the testimony of the chief of the general staff, Sami Anan, has been postponed to September 25.  It had been scheduled for Monday.