CAIRO, Mar 20 (Aswat Masriya) - The retrial of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Badie and 36 others was put on hold on Sunday until a request to change the judge is processed.

The defence team made a request today to have a new judge preside over the case.

Badie, who serves as the supreme guide of the Brotherhood, is the group's highest official. He and 13 others had been sentenced to death in this case in April, while 26 were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Egypt's highest court, the Court of Cassation accepted the appeals of 37 defendants in the case, rejecting two because the defendants were at large when they were sentenced.

The defendants, which include 14 journalists, are accused of running an "operations room ... to direct the Muslim Brotherhood group to resist the state during the Rabaa [Al-Adaweya] sit-in dispersal." They are also accused of "spreading chaos" following Rabaa's dispersal and attempting to break into and set ablaze police stations, private property and churches.

The sit-in at Rabaa Al-Adaweya was organised to show support for former president Mohamed Mursi who was ousted by the military in July 2013 following protests against his rule.

Since Mursi's ouster, Egyptian authorities have led a crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood leaders and prominent figures, who have often found themselves behind bars or facing court cases. 

Egypt listed the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in December 2013 and insists it is behind the wave of militancy which has targeted security personnel since July 2013. The Brotherhood continuously denies the accusations.