An appeals court refused on Tuesday a request filed by Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed El-Beltagy and Islamist figure Safwat Hegazy to change judges in a trial in which they face charges of torturing policemen.

El-Beltagy and Hegazy face accusations of torturing two policemen during the Rabaa Al-Adaweya sit-in for ousted president Mohamed Morsi last year.

El-Beltagy was also fined LE3,000.

Last December, judges of Cairo Criminal Court recused themselves from the same trial due to their unease over the case.

The two Brotherhood figures also face several other trials that include charges of inciting violence against opponents of Morsi in December 2012.