The North Cairo Criminal Court adjourned the trial of ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Saturday to 17 August.

Hundreds of police officers and dozens of armoured vehicles have been deployed to secure the proceedings held at a police academy on the outskirts of the Egyptian capital.

Mubarak, his interior minister Habib El-Adly and six aides are accused of complicity in the killing of more than 800 protesters during the 2011 uprising that overthrew his decades-long rule.

El-Adly's lawyer requested his client be freed on grounds that he's already spent the maximum period in detention pending investigations, but prosecutors must review the memo that documents his time.

In June the ousted president was sentenced to life in prison for the killings, but in January a retrial was ordered because of "procedural failings" in the original trial.

The ex-autocrat, together with his two sons, Alaa and Gamal, is also facing corruption charges.

The Mubarak sons remained in detention despite the last court ruling ordering their release, since they face separate financial corruption charges.

The release order was on grounds that they have spent the maximum legal time in detention for a re-trial.

The former president and his sons face other charges of illegally using funds allocated for expenditure on presidential palaces for their private villas.

Hosni Mubarak, business tycoon Hussein Salem and former minister of petroleum Sameh Fahmy are also accused of exporting gas to Israel at below-market prices, causing Egypt to lose LE714 million throughout the deal.

Salem, who is now in Spain, also faces charges of using his connections with the Mubarak family for illicit gains.