A court in Egypt has ordered a media blackout during the next phase of the retrial of ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak

Judge Mahmoud el-Rachidi said on Saturday that the court sessions in next month would be related to national security issues.

The media would not be allowed into the courtroom to cover the sessions, to be held between October 19 and 21, the judge ruled.

Mubarak and his two sons and a former security chief appeared in court to face charges of complicity in the killing of nearly 900 protesters during the 2011 revolution.

The 85-year-old was sentenced to life in prison last year for failing to prevent the killing of demonstrators during the revolution. However, a court accepted his appeal earlier this year and ordered a retrial.

Mubarak took power in 1981 after Anwar Sadat was assassinated, and continued Sadat’s pro-Israeli policies throughout his three-decade dictatorship.

In addition, Mubarak also fully supported Israel in its blockade of 1.7 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, a situation that created more miseries for the Palestinians and infuriated many Egyptians.

In January 2011, Egyptians launched a revolution against the Mubarak regime, which eventually ended his rule on February 11, 2011.