The trial of a number of members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group was postponed on Sunday to July 15 by Egypt's supreme military court, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.

The adjournment of the trial of 40 Muslim Brotherhood members was made upon a request from the defense team and the suspects will be remanded in custody, the report said.

The 40 Muslim Brotherhood members, including senior Brotherhood leader Mohamed Khairat el-Shater who was in custody since December, are being tried on charges including money laundering and terrorism.

Officially banned in 1954 for its attempt to set up an Islamic government, Egypt's biggest Islamic opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood won 88 seats in the 454--member lower house of parliament after its members ran as independents in 2005 legislative elections.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak proposed the Egyptian constitutional amendments, which was approved in a national referendum in late March, terming it as the way to strengthen political parties and reduce restrictions for candidates to run in presidential elections.

The amendments prohibited the forming of any political party on a religious bases.

Source: Xinhua