RSF hails Al-Jazeera journalists’ release / acquittal on appeal

Organisation:

RSF_en

Reporters Without Borders hails today’s release of Al-Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed after Egypt’s highest court overturned their conviction on appeal.
Detained for the past year, the Qatari TV station’s journalists were given sentences in June that ranged from seven to ten years in prison on charges of disseminating false news and belonging to a “terrorist organization.”

[Reporters Without Borders hails today’s release of Al-Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed after they received a presidential pardon, but regrets that they were not acquitted on appeal.]
Detained for the past year, the Qatari TV station’s journalists were given sentences in June that ranged from seven to ten years in prison on charges of disseminating false news and belonging to a “terrorist organization.”

“The release of these three journalists is a great relief because they should not have spent a single minute in prison and paid too high a price for the regime’s repressive policies towards local and foreign media,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. “Egypt’s authorities must now put an end to all practices designed to restrict freedom of information and must release all the other media personnel who are being held arbitrarily.” Reporters Without Borders continues to call for the release of the 13 other journalists detained in Egypt, which is now the world’s fourth biggest prison for media personnel, after China, Eritrea and Iran.

Published on 31.12.2014