Tonight an Egyptian court has triggered further international outcry, jeopardising press freedom and this is especially true for Australian journalist, Peter Greste, colleagues and family.
In a re-trial in a Cairo court, Greste will avoid imprisonment as he was deported to Australia in February this year and was being tried in absentia, but Al Jazeera colleagues, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were sentenced to at least three years’ jail.
When they were first sentenced in June 2014, Greste and Fahmy received seven years’ prison, while Mohamed received 10 years. After the three men spent 400 days in jail, in January, 2015, their convictions were overturned. In February, Greste was deported and a re-trial was ordered, leaving Greste’s future unclear.
Greste tweeted tonight that he was shocked, outraged and angry.
The court said the three journalists had operated in Egypt without a press licence, and they had broadcasted material that was harmful to Egypt.
“Everybody knows that this is a political trial and Mohammed is innocent,” Fahmy’s wife, Marwa Omara, said.
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