Egypt releases jailed Al Jazeera journalist

  02 February 2015    Read: 896
Egypt releases jailed Al Jazeera journalist
Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste, who had been imprisoned for 400 days on terrorism charges in Egypt, was released from a Cairo jail Sunday and deported back to his native Australia.
Al Jazeera heralded the decision and called for the release of two of Greste’s colleagues, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian national Baher Mohamed, who are still being held.

“We’re pleased for Peter and his family that they are to be reunited. It has been an incredible and unjustifiable ordeal for them, and they have coped with incredible dignity,” acting Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network Mostefa Souag said in a statement. “We will not rest until Baher and Mohamed also regain their freedom. The Egyptian authorities have it in their power to finish this properly today, and that is exactly what they must do.”

Fahmy is expected to be released within days, Reuters reported, citing a security official.

The three journalists were arrested on Dec. 29, 2013 while reporting in Egypt. They were charged with supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood and received sentences of between seven and 10 years in prison.

In January, Egypt’s high court announced the trio would be given a retrial.

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