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June 26, 2014

Jailed Al Jazeera Journalist: "We Must Remain Committed to Fight This Gross Injustice" 
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Journalists covering the United Nations held an emergency session on
Wednesday to denounce Egypt's sentencing of three Al Jazeera journalists
to between seven and 10 years in prison. Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and
Baher Mohamed were convicted this week of "spreading false news" in
support of the Muslim Brotherhood, deemed by the government a "terrorist
group." Speaking before the United Nations Correspondents Association,
Al Jazeera America President Kate O'Brien demanded the trio's release.

Kate O'Brien: "We want our Al Jazeera journalists cleared, freed and
returned to their families and colleagues, where they belong. We are
doing everything in our power to achieve that. It has been 179 days
since Mohamed, Peter and Baher were arrested. It is time for them to
come home to their families, their colleagues and to their all-important
work."

An Egyptian official attending Wednesday's session said it may take
three to four months for the journalists' appeal to be heard. Also
addressing the gathering, Robert Mahoney of the Committee to Protect
Journalists called on Egypt to release all of the 14 journalists it is
holding behind bars.

Robert Mahoney: "Today, as we speak, there are 14 journalists in jail in
Egypt, including the three Al Jazeera journalists that we're here to
help. That makes Egypt, on our reckoning, the biggest jailer of
journalists in the Arab world — more than Syria, where there are
about 12. That's not a record that any country should be happy to have.
So we are working for the release of all those journalists, and we would
urge the Egyptian authorities to work to their release. And the
president, al-Sisi, has it within his power to free them."

In his first statement since being sentenced, Greste urged supporters to
keep up pressure on the Egyptian government, saying: "The verdict
confirms that our trial was never simply about the charges against us
— it has been an attempt to use the court to intimidate and
silence critical voices in the media. … [Public support] has kept us
strong and continues to do so. We must all remain committed to fight
this gross injustice for as long as necessary."

 

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