Muslim Brotherhood leaders to face trial for inciting murder; McCain, Graham visit Cairo

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A trial date was announced Sunday for Muslim Brotherhood leaders accused of inciting murder in the days before former President Mohamed Morsi was ousted as efforts to resolve Egypt's growing political crisis ramped up.

The trial of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and his deputy Khairat el-Shater will begin on Aug. 25, according to state news agency MENA.

More from GlobalPost: Efforts to resolve Egypt political crisis intensify

Badie, el-Shater, Rashad al-Bayoumi and three others are accused in the deaths of at least two protesters outside the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Cairo on June 30.

The deaths came amid days of protests and violence before Morsi's military coup on July 3.

US and EU diplomats are racing to find a compromise to avoid a repeat of violence that's left at least 250 people dead since the coup.

At a press conference on Monday, the State Department said Deputy Secretary of State Nicholas Burns had no current plans to meet with deposed President Mohamed Morsi. Burns has already met with several other leaders in Egypt, including the country's interim leaders, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Adly Mansour, said a State Department spokeswoman.

She stressed that the United States supports an "inclusive process" in choosing a new civilian government — one that includes the wishes of the Egyptian people.

The Brotherhood has rejected calls from international envoys to accept the coup that deposed Morsi.

Reuters reported that an Egyptian military source said that the army was considering freeing some of the Muslim Brotherhood's leaders, unfreezing its assets and giving the party several ministerial positions in the newly formed government in order to resolve the crisis.

More from GlobalPost: Egypt moves to form new government as police seek Brotherhood leaders (VIDEO)

On Sunday, Egypt's highest security body warned that time was running out for a peaceful end to a standoff over sit-ins by tens of thousands Morsi supporters demanding his reinstatement.

The National Defense Council called on protesters to abandon the sit-ins, saying any negotiated resolution would not shield "law breakers" and others who incite against the state from legal proceedings.

In a move that underlined the government's resolve in dealing with new protests, authorities on Sunday prevented Yemeni rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman from entering Egypt "for security reasons."

On Monday, US Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham are expected to meet with interim Egyptian leaders in Cairo.

The duo plan to push Egyptian leaders for a return to civilian control.

They are making the trip at the request of US President Barack Obama. 

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