CAIRO, Jan 4 (Aswat Masriya) - The Court of Cassation accepted Monday a retrial appeal submitted by the Muslim Brotherhood's Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie, his deputy Khairat el-Shater and 13 other defendants in the "Guidance Bureau" case. 

The retrial will be held before another court circuit based on the Cassation Court's order.

The appeal was presented by the Court of Cassation's prosecution which requested the retrial of the defendants in a case involving armed conflict between members of the now banned Muslim Brotherhood and protesters. The clashes took place outside the group's headquarters on June 30 and July 1, 2013 during protests against then-President Mohamed Mursi, who hails from the Brotherhood, leaving 12 people dead and more than 90 injured

Last February, a Cairo court sentenced Badie, Shater and 12 others to life imprisonment for inciting violence at the group's headquarters. Four other Muslim Brotherhood figures, Mohamed al-Beshlawi, Mostafa Fahmy, Atef Abdel Gelil and Abdel Rehim Mohamed, were sentenced to death.

All 18 defendants were charged with premeditated murder, attempted murder, possession of explosives and firearms and incitement to murder.

During Monday's trial session, the defence team argued that the initial verdict did not take into account the principle of self-defence, which had been evidenced in the lawsuit papers.

The defence team further stated that protesters at the time fired gunshots and detonated stove pipes at the headquarters. The defence pled before the court that the initial sentence relied solely on the Homeland and Criminal Security investigations, without further proof.

Last week, the Court of Cassation accepted an appeal submitted by Badie and 37 others sentenced to death and life imprisonment in another case known as the Rabaa al-Adaweya "operations room". The first retrial session is set for Feb. 8.

In the case, Badie and 50 others 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."

The government has launched a severe crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood figures following the ouster of former president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, after mass protests against his rule.

Hundreds of Brotherhood supporters and members have been sentenced to death or handed life sentences in what many rights organisations have described as politically-motivated trials that lack due process.

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.