Egypt jails Jazeera journalists for up to 10 years
CAIRO, Monday
An Egyptian court has sentenced three Al-Jazeera journalists, including Australian Peter Greste, to jail terms ranging from seven to 10 years after accusing them of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.
Greste and Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fadel Fahmy were sentenced to seven years, while producer Baher Mohamed received two sentences — one for seven years and another for three years.
Undated photos released by Al-Jazeera's office in Cairo show (from L to R) one of its producers Baher Mohamed, award-winning Australian journalist Peter Greste and its Cairo bureau chief, Canadian-Egyptian Mohammed Fahmy. PHOTOS | AL JAZEERA | FILE
The three were among 20 defendants in a trial that has triggered international outrage amid fears of growing media restrictions in Egypt. (READ: Protest over detained al-Jazeera journalists)
Nine defendants who were tried in absentia, including three foreign journalists, were sentenced to 10 years, while two defendants were acquitted.
Since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, the authorities have been incensed by the Qatari television network's coverage of their deadly crackdown on his supporters.
They consider Al-Jazeera to be the voice of Qatar, and accuse Doha of backing Morsi's Brotherhood, while the emirate openly denounces the repression of the Islamist movement's supporters which has killed more than 1,400 people.
