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February 20, 2014

Trial Opens for 3 Detained Al Jazeera Journalists in Egypt 
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The trial opens today in Egypt for three detained Al Jazeera journalists
who are accused of terrorism-related charges. Peter Greste, Mohamed
Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were arrested in late December. Their case has
drawn global condemnation against Egypt's military-backed regime for
clamping down on freedom of speech. Greste's brother, Andrew Greste,
spoke to reporters on Wednesday.

Andrew Greste: "He's in a cell with Baher and Mohamed, so the three of
them are sharing a cell together. They are allowed one hour of exercise
a day, so the conditions are pretty tough. But probably I think the most
difficult thing for him is the mental challenge of staying positive and
focused and not allowing the conditions that he is living under to
become overwhelming and depressing."

In total, 20 journalists are set to go on trial today, including eight
who are in custody.

 

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