Egypt begins trial of 26 alleged Hezbollah spies

Egypt began the trial on Sunday of 26 men suspected of links with Lebanon's Hezbollah and accused of planning attacks inside Egypt.

The case has highlighted the worries of conservative Sunni Muslim states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia about the increasing influence of Shi'ite Iran and groups, like Hezbollah, seen as Tehran's proxies.

Egypt's announcement in April that it had detained the men heightened tensions with the Lebanese guerrilla group, which had angered Cairo this year by accusing the Egyptian authorities of complicity with Israel in its siege of Gaza.

The charges against the 26, read out in the emergency state security court, included giving information to a foreign organization, planning attacks inside Egypt on tourist sites and the Suez Canal and possession of explosive material.

All those present denied the charges. The men are not all facing the same charges.

Rights groups say Egypt has used "exceptional" courts like emergency and military courts to secure guilty verdicts and point to swift and often harsh sentences passed by the courts against Islamist militants in the 1990s.

"We live and die as Egyptians. We will never betray our country," several of the Egyptian defendants declared in unison from the cage in which they were held in court, as the charges were read out.

Others chanted during proceedings: "We sacrifice ourselves to you, oh messenger of God," refering to the Prophet Mohammad.

Lawyer Saad Hasaballah said four men were being tried in absentia and two others were not present in court on Sunday.

The men being tried include two Lebanese, five Palestinians and one Sudanese. The rest are Egyptian.

Among those being tried in absentia is Lebanese citizen Mohamed Qublan. Another Lebanese, Sami Chehab, also named Mohamed Youssef Mansour Ahmed, was in court.

Charges against the two Lebanese included recruiting and financing the group and planning terrorist actions.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in April that Chehab was a member of the Lebanese group but had been in Egypt helping supply military equipment to Palestinians in their fight against Israel.

Nasrallah said Chehab had been being helped by up to 10 others but said others detained by the Egyptian authorities had no link to Chehab.

Judge Adel Abdel-Salem Gomaa referred one of the accused for medical checks after he said he had been tortured.

The court set the next hearing for Oct. 24.