Egypt sentences 3 Al-Jazeera reporters to 3 years in prison

[Lite Beer]

Egypt sentences 3 Al-Jazeera reporters to 3 years in prison
BRIAN ROHAN, Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court sentenced three Al-Jazeera English journalists to three years in prison on Saturday for broadcasting "false news," sparking an international outcry and underlining how authorities are trampling over free speech just over a year into general-turned-politician Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's presidency.

The men are now seeking a pardon from el-Sissi, who has personally expressed regret over the long-running trial and the damage it has done to Egypt's international reputation — saying it would have been better to simply deport the journalists. Al Jazeera said it will also appeal the verdict, once the court releases its full ruling in the next 30 days.

Canadian national Mohammed Fahmy, Australian journalist Peter Greste and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed's case had embroiled their work into the wider political conflict between Egypt and Qatar, where Al-Jazeera is based, following the 2013 military ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The verdict comes just weeks after el-Sissi issued a new anti-terrorism law, which sets a sweeping definition for who could face a harsh set of punishments, including journalists who don't toe the government line. The new law, like Saturday's verdict, has drawn criticism from diplomats, press freedom advocates and human rights organizations.

Greste, who was deported from Egypt in February, spoke to Al-Jazeera from Sydney and said he believed an Egyptian appeals court would overturn the verdict. Fahmy and Mohammed, both on hand for Saturday's hearing, were immediately taken away by police after the hearing.

"We broke no laws, we did nothing unethical or illegal or immoral. And so it's just incomprehensible to see how the court can come to this conclusion," Greste said, adding that the verdict was "clearly political."

"There is no other way of interpreting this," he said.

Mostefa Souag, Al-Jazeera's acting director-general, also criticized the verdict, saying it "defies logic and common sense."

"The whole case has been heavily politicized and has not been conducted in a free and fair manner," Souag said in a statement. "There is no evidence proving that our colleagues in any way fabricated news or aided and abetted terrorist organizations and at no point during the long drawn out retrial did any of the unfounded allegations stand up to scrutiny."

Judge Hassan Farid, in his ruling, said he sentenced the men to prison because they had not registered with the country's journalist syndicate. He also said the men brought in equipment without security officials' approval, had broadcast "false news" on Al-Jazeera and used a hotel as a broadcasting point without permission.

Fahmy's wife, Marwa, broke down in tears as the verdict was read out, with others sobbing in the courtroom.

"I am asking for justice, for fairness," she said while leaving the court. "I feel extremely disappointed because I love my country and I know that Mohammed loves his country. ... It's really hard for us."

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who represented Fahmy on Saturday, said she would be meeting with Egyptian officials later in the day along with Canadian Ambassador Troy Lulashnyk to press for a presidential pardon.

"The verdict today sends a very dangerous message in Egypt," Clooney said. "Journalists can be locked up for simply doing their job, for telling the truth and reporting the news. And it sends a dangerous message that there are judges in Egypt who will allow their courts to become instruments of political repression and propaganda."

"We are now going to be holding in Cairo a series of meetings with government officials where we will be asking for a pardon, in this case, and if a pardon is not immediately available then deportation to Canada," she said.

Egypt regularly pardons convicts, especially around national and religious holidays. During this summer's holy month of Ramadan, for example, authorities pardoned 165 people arrested for breaking a much-decried law banning unauthorized protests.

Lulashnyk said Canada was deeply disappointed by the outcome and would push for Fahmy's freedom.

"We are calling for (Fahmy's) full and immediate release and his return to Canada, and this is now the time for the government to make that happen," he said.

The case began in December 2013, when Egyptian security forces raided the upscale hotel suite used by Al-Jazeera at the time to report from Egypt. The journalists began using the hotel as a base of operations after the Al-Jazeera English office near Tahrir Square was raided by police. Authorities arrested Fahmy, Greste and Mohammed, later charging them with allegedly being part of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which authorities have declared a terrorist organization, and airing falsified footage intended to damage national security.

Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected president, was removed from power by the military in July 2013 after mass public protests against his rule. Since Morsi's ouster, Egypt has cracked down heavily on his supporters, and the journalists were accused of being mouthpieces for the Brotherhood. Al-Jazeera and the journalists have denied the allegations, saying they were simply reporting the news.

At the time of the journalists' arrests, Qatar and Egypt had been increasingly at odds over Doha's support of Islamist groups and the Brotherhood. In the time since, Qatar, which funds Al-Jazeera, has expelled some Brotherhood members and made overtures toward easing tensions with Egypt, though the Qatari government continues to support some Islamists in the region.

At trial, prosecutors used news clips about an animal hospital with donkeys and horses, and another about Christian life in Egypt, as evidence the journalists broke the law. Defense lawyers — and even the judge — dismissed the videos as irrelevant.

Nonetheless, the three men were convicted on June 23, 2014, with Greste and Fahmy sentenced to seven years in prison and Mohammed to 10 years for being found with a spent bullet casing. That ruling was later overturned on appeal by Egypt's Court of Cassation, which said the initial proceedings were marred by violations of the defendants' rights, but a retrial was ordered.

Three Egyptian students accused of supporting the Brotherhood with propaganda and video footage were also sentenced to three years each in the verdict, while two other people were acquitted.

On Saturday, Mohammed received an additional six months for being in possession of a "bullet," according to the text of the court decision carried by the Egyptian state news agency MENA. It wasn't immediately clear why Saturday's verdict referred to a "bullet," rather than a spent bullet casing.

The case has brought a landslide of international condemnation and calls for el-Sissi, who as military chief led the overthrow of Morsi, to intervene. Egypt deported Greste in February, though he remained charged in the case. Fahmy and Mohammed were later released on bail.

Fahmy was asked to give up his Egyptian nationality by Egyptian officials in order to qualify for deportation. It's not clear why he wasn't deported, though Fahmy said he thinks Canada could have pressed Cairo harder on the matter.

Angered by Al-Jazeera's handling of the case, Fahmy has filed a lawsuit in Canada seeking $100 million from the broadcaster, saying that it put the story ahead of employee safety and used its Arabic-language channels to advocate for the Brotherhood. Al-Jazeera has said Fahmy should seek compensation from Egypt.

The European Union and the Committee to Protect Journalists criticized the verdict as well, with the advocacy group saying it was "emblematic of the threats faced by journalists in Egypt," where it says at least 22 journalists are wrongfully behind bars.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-30

[HLover]

Any link to the actual broadcast, regarding the 'false news'?

[steven100]

Egypt courts & judicial system is corrupt and is a sham. This is absolutely politically biased and the world needs to voice it's outrage on this decision as it goes against all principles of freedom of expression and free speech.

Egypt is scum and governments around the world should avoid having anything to do with them.

[Naam]

Egypt courts & judicial system is corrupt and is a sham. This is absolutely politically biased and the world needs to voice it's outrage on this decision as it goes against all principles of freedom of expression and free speech.

Egypt is scum and governments around the world should avoid having anything to do with them.

you are writing bullshit² by smearing a whole country because one judge handed out a shitty ruling.

[steven100]

Egypt courts & judicial system is corrupt and is a sham. This is absolutely politically biased and the world needs to voice it's outrage on this decision as it goes against all principles of freedom of expression and free speech.

Egypt is scum and governments around the world should avoid having anything to do with them.

you are writing bullshit² by smearing a whole country because one judge handed out a shitty ruling.

strike a raw nerve did we ! .... I've lived in Egypt unfortunately, I know what goes on there.

There judicial system is a sham ... and the international community knows this through past history ...

except you ....

[Ulysses G.]

Al-Jazeera does broadcast false-news, but not sure anyone should be imprisoned for that.

[JingerBen]

Al-Jazeera does broadcast false-news, but not sure anyone should be imprisoned for that.

Al-Jazeera is generally considered to be a credible news source.

Have I missed a story of theirs that has been proven false recently?

[Ulysses G.]

You need to pay more attention. Just ONE example:

The Qatari-owned media company Al-Jazeera saw 22 members of its staff in Egypt resign on Monday over what they allege was “biased coverage” of the events that unfolded in Cairo last week.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Haggag Salama was among those who resigned, accusing the station of “airing lies and misleading viewers,” Gulf News reported Monday.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/9/we-aired-lies-al-jazeera-staff-quit-over-biased-eg/

http://english.aawsat.com/2013/07/article55309195

[JingerBen]

Al-Jazeera does broadcast false-news, but not sure anyone should be imprisoned for that.

Al-Jazeera is generally considered to be a credible news source.

Have I missed a story of theirs that has been proven false recently?

You need to pay more attention. Just ONE example:

The Qatari-owned media company Al-Jazeera saw 22 members of its staff in Egypt resign on Monday over what they allege was “biased coverage” of the events that unfolded in Cairo last week.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Haggag Salama was among those who resigned, accusing the station of “airing lies and misleading viewers,” Gulf News reported Monday.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/9/we-aired-lies-al-jazeera-staff-quit-over-biased-eg/

http://english.aawsat.com/2013/07/article55309195

Specifically what stories were lies?

[arjunadawn]

You need to pay more attention. Just ONE example:

The Qatari-owned media company Al-Jazeera saw 22 members of its staff in Egypt resign on Monday over what they allege was “biased coverage” of the events that unfolded in Cairo last week.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Haggag Salama was among those who resigned, accusing the station of “airing lies and misleading viewers,” Gulf News reported Monday.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/9/we-aired-lies-al-jazeera-staff-quit-over-biased-eg/

http://english.aawsat.com/2013/07/article55309195

AJ is a criminal enterprise operating as an additional column to civil society. As a composite of numerous disparate events, considering AJ as in bed with terrorism is the only logical conclusion that can be reached. AJ has acted like a PR wing of the MB in more places than just Egypt. Egypt's judicial actions against AJ following the ouster of the muslim brotherhood president was one of many indictments, expulsions, or investigations that followed the Morisi gross usurpation and race to consolidate MB islamist power. Many queries also targeted NGOs, US State Department through alternate channels, and such things as an indictment of Barack Hussein Obama's Muslim Brotherhood money-man brother. AJ was able to play the journalist card and so was embraced by universal declarations of solidarity. AJ got the attention but multiple organs of quasi state actors of pseudo terrorist actions were cleaned up.

Suggestion: Indict, convict, sentence, but pardon. Send the message, relieve the pressure.

Note: There was a great deal of initial circumstantial and direct evidence of the US government under Clinton actually paying off elected politicians in the Muslim Brotherhood government (substantially installed by the US). That Egypt decided to pursue this quietly, expel, sideline investigations, and pacify the US is an expression of Realpolitik, not insufficient evidence. Egypt realized very quickly the US government actually overthrow Mubarak with Morisi (an outlawed group in Egypt for most of contemporary history) and was propping him up and running interference even as Egyptians began massing in the streets in even greater numbers to oust the MB. The US in turn threatened al sissi to withhold billions, I think it was nearly 12 billion. GCC states now palpably aware of the MB total backing by the US raced to Cairo with money instruments and promises of the matching billions withheld by the US so al sissi would not waiver. This is the backdrop to which AJ journalists were fomenting collusion. These events are true. The degree of AJ involvement is speculation, but not that they are associated with terrorists. Many tens of thousands of Americans who have been to Iraq and elsewhere well know AJ knows what terrorists know.

Conclusion: AJ was one facet of shared interests in installed the muslim brotherhood.

(I will not cite this point instead I offer the ample history of the US purported attacks on AJ in war zones in response to the widely held knowledge that AJ often facilitated the deaths of US/coalition forces. This is much better known, but unappreciated is why this came to pass. Often, soldiers or civilians would make a turn, find themselves in a town and the street deserted- save a single AJ vehicle with satellite up. Bamm! Attack after attack had similar signatures. A fool could not connect the dots, any other could. AJ works with islamists and terrorists).

Edited August 30, 2015 by arjunadawn

[anon4546543]

Al-Jazeera runs at least two news services. One in English and one in what I presume is Arabic. I watch the English version often and have found that it is mostly informative and mostly correct. I have heard that the other version is far more pro Islamist extreme, but as I don't understand Arabic, this is only a suspicion. As for the journalists, they were doing a job and Al-Jazeera is responsible for them. But shame on Egypt, I hope Australia and Canada impose punitive punishments on the leaders and judiciary and forbid their citizens from visiting Egypt.It is interesting to note that the US, which props up this country has remained mostly silent.

[dexterm]

You need to pay more attention. Just ONE example:

The Qatari-owned media company Al-Jazeera saw 22 members of its staff in Egypt resign on Monday over what they allege was “biased coverage” of the events that unfolded in Cairo last week.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Haggag Salama was among those who resigned, accusing the station of “airing lies and misleading viewers,” Gulf News reported Monday.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/9/we-aired-lies-al-jazeera-staff-quit-over-biased-eg/

http://english.aawsat.com/2013/07/article55309195

AJ is a criminal enterprise operating as an additional column to civil society. As a composite of numerous disparate events, considering AJ as in bed with terrorism is the only logical conclusion that can be reached. AJ has acted like a PR wing of the MB in more places than just Egypt. Egypt's judicial actions against AJ following the ouster of the muslim brotherhood president was one of many indictments, expulsions, or investigations that followed the Morisi gross usurpation and race to consolidate MB islamist power. Many queries also targeted NGOs, US State Department through alternate channels, and such things as an indictment of Barack Hussein Obama's Muslim Brotherhood money-man brother. AJ was able to play the journalist card and so was embraced by universal declarations of solidarity. AJ got the attention but multiple organs of quasi state actors of pseudo terrorist actions were cleaned up.

Suggestion: Indict, convict, sentence, but pardon. Send the message, relieve the pressure.

Note: There was a great deal of initial circumstantial and direct evidence of the US government under Clinton actually paying off elected politicians in the Muslim Brotherhood government (substantially installed by the US). That Egypt decided to pursue this quietly, expel, sideline investigations, and pacify the US is an expression of Realpolitik, not insufficient evidence. Egypt realized very quickly the US government actually overthrow Mubarak with Morisi (an outlawed group in Egypt for most of contemporary history) and was propping him up and running interference even as Egyptians began massing in the streets in even greater numbers to oust the MB. The US in turn threatened al sissi to withhold billions, I think it was nearly 12 billion. GCC states now palpably aware of the MB total backing by the US raced to Cairo with money instruments and promises of the matching billions withheld by the US so al sissi would not waiver. This is the backdrop to which AJ journalists were fomenting collusion. These events are true. The degree of AJ involvement is speculation, but not that they are associated with terrorists. Many tens of thousands of Americans who have been to Iraq and elsewhere well know AJ knows what terrorists know.

Conclusion: AJ was one facet of shared interests in installed the muslim brotherhood.

(I will not cite this point instead I offer the ample history of the US purported attacks on AJ in war zones in response to the widely held knowledge that AJ often facilitated the deaths of US/coalition forces. This is much better known, but unappreciated is why this came to pass. Often, soldiers or civilians would make a turn, find themselves in a town and the street deserted- save a single AJ vehicle with satellite up. Bamm! Attack after attack had similar signatures. A fool could not connect the dots, any other could. AJ works with islamists and terrorists).

dots, any other could. AJ works with islamists and terrorists).

The attacks by US forces on AJ occurred very early in the Iraq invasion on April 8 and are well documented

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2003/04/jaz-a09.html

Your justification is purely anecdotal and undocumented. It is all very easy to create urban myths. Please provide links and dates.

Your post appears to me to be an attempt to besmirch Al Jazeera, for whatever motives.

[Ulysses G.]

You need to pay more attention. Just ONE example:

The Qatari-owned media company Al-Jazeera saw 22 members of its staff in Egypt resign on Monday over what they allege was “biased coverage” of the events that unfolded in Cairo last week.

Al-Jazeera correspondent Haggag Salama was among those who resigned, accusing the station of “airing lies and misleading viewers,” Gulf News reported Monday.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/9/we-aired-lies-al-jazeera-staff-quit-over-biased-eg/

http://english.aawsat.com/2013/07/article55309195

AJ is a criminal enterprise operating as an additional column to civil society. As a composite of numerous disparate events, considering AJ as in bed with terrorism is the only logical conclusion that can be reached.

Indeed. That is what the National Security Agency (NSA) believe.

The US government placed an Al-Jazeera journalist on a watch list of suspected terrorists in the belief that he was a member of Al-Qaida, according to a top-secret document revealed by The Intercept.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2015/may/11/nsa-labelled-al-jazeera-journalist-as-suspected-terrorist

[Jingthing]

Al Jazeera (English) is blatantly biased against the USA, Israel, and Egypt. No, I don't agree with jailing journalists and I understand many media organizations are biased. But enough with the BS that AJ isn't biased. Get real!

“As ratings failed to live up to the expectations of management, Al Jazeera openly decided to abandon all pretense of neutrality in favor of putting the Arabic viewpoint front and center, openly demanding that programs be aired that criticized countries such as America, Israel and Egypt,” High-Bassalik’s lawsuit stated.

...

She accused the head of the company’s investigative unit of tweeting that “Israelis are like Hitler”. During coverage of the 2014 conflict in Gaza, she said she was told the mission was to cast Israel as the villain and emphasize the Arab and Muslim point of view.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jun/11/al-jazeera-america-accused-bias-non-arabs-women?CMP=ema_546

Edited August 30, 2015 by Jingthing

[JingerBen]

Al Jazeera (English) is blatantly biased against the USA, Israel, and Egypt. No, I don't agree with jailing journalists and I understand many media organizations are biased. But enough with the BS that AJ isn't biased. Get real!

“As ratings failed to live up to the expectations of management, Al Jazeera openly decided to abandon all pretense of neutrality in favor of putting the Arabic viewpoint front and center, openly demanding that programs be aired that criticized countries such as America, Israel and Egypt,” High-Bassalik’s lawsuit stated.

...

She accused the head of the company’s investigative unit of tweeting that “Israelis are like Hitler”. During coverage of the 2014 conflict in Gaza, she said she was told the mission was to cast Israel as the villain and emphasize the Arab and Muslim point of view.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jun/11/al-jazeera-america-accused-bias-non-arabs-women?CMP=ema_546

These are accusations made in a lawsuit filed by a dismissed employee.

[Ulysses G.]

Numerous employees have quit because of Al Jazeera's dishonest and biased coverage.

[tigermonkey]

I understand that the new three year sentences begin from the date of sentencing, with no allowance for time already served. Does anyone know the truth of this ?

On the subject of bias for Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera English has been extremely biased since they day that they sent on air, although they have become a far more sophisticated propaganda machine since then. For example, I remember years ago, a Doha documentary castigating the behavior of Israel for what was described as an attempted genocide of the Palestinian people. More recently, I saw a more subtle documentary of the suffering people of Gaza complete with wounded in the hospitals, starving/wounded children and wailing woman – however Israel was never mentioned. Same message !

Al Jazeera English is only one third of the branches of Al Jazeera which existed when the three, who were sentenced began work in Cairo. The second is Al Jazeera Arabic which as much as possible follows the Qatar position of support for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and deposed President Morsi, as well as constantly supporting their understanding of all things Arabic and Muslim. They constantly push the boundaries in all areas, but despite constant chastisement by the Egyptian military government they are protected by their popularity with the Egyptian populace.

The third branch was the now outlawed Egyptian channel Mubasher Misr. This television channel with the full support of Qatar quickly morphed into a bold and blatant mouthpiece for the MB and Morsi, and was quickly shut down and outlawed when they began to promote rebellion.

El-Sisi had banned Mubasher Misr, and was harassing Al Zazeera Arabic as much as possible, without alienating more Egyptian opinion. How else could he strike back at Qatar ? – shut down Al Jazeera English. Nobody in Egypt really cared about them. He raided and trashed their offices, but they moved to the Marriott and started broadcasting again. El-Sisi moved in and made three high profile arrests. Since then, these men have become pawns in El-Sisi’s ongoing campaign to control Al Jazeera Arabic. I really never was about journalism at all. This is merely Middle East politics. Fahmy’s lawsuit against Al Jazeera tells the story.

[Jingthing]

Yes of course they're biased and that's OK if that's what they want to do but I don't think it's OK to put journalists working for biased or unbiased news organizations in jail for doing their jobs. At worse, in a repressive regime, they could just kick out foreigners and/or the news organization offends them. Sovereign nations have the right to do such things even if we don't support that.

[Naam]

Al-Jazeera runs at least two news services. One in English and one in what I presume is Arabic. I watch the English version often and have found that it is mostly informative and mostly correct. I have heard that the other version is far more pro Islamist extreme, but as I don't understand Arabic, this is only a suspicion. As for the journalists, they were doing a job and Al-Jazeera is responsible for them. But shame on Egypt, I hope Australia and Canada impose punitive punishments on the leaders and judiciary and forbid their citizens from visiting Egypt.It is interesting to note that the US, which props up this country has remained mostly silent.

i watch both English and Arabic versions regularly and can confirm that they differ quite a bit, meaning the Arabic version is rather biased but sticks to facts whereas the English version is extremely fair.

of course the aficionados of Rupert Murdoch's FAUX News, presented not only by the arrogant and uneducated former primary school teacher Bill O'Reilly, will find both versions of "The Peninsula" anti-US and anti-Israel.

[Jingthing]

Fox is biased as well. Duh! But this thread refers to AJ.

[Naam]

Fox is biased as well. Duh! But this thread refers to AJ.

and according to you that does not allow the reference that FAUX News lovers hate al-Jazeera. who appointed you moderator? get a life and stop your biased yakety-yak!

[sirineou]

as much as those in the right would like to make this a Thread about Al-jazzera, this is a thread about the Egyptian court decision against the journalists

It has nothing to do with Al-Jazzera , where the Journalist worked is not Jermaine

unless of course you side with the Egyptian court decision and think the Journalists got what they deserved.

[sirineou]

Fox is biased as well. Duh! But this thread refers to AJ.

No it's not

[dexterm]

The apologists for a certain Middle Eastern country on this forum clearly have the hidden agenda of besmirching Al Jazeera and all who work for it.

Getting back to the OP, if you look at the evidence in the original trial the Egyptian case was a farce. The Egyptian justice system and government would have been better advised to release the accused and hoped people would forget this shameful and ridiculous travesty

Video evidence used against al-Jazeera journalists filmed by other networks

Three al-Jazeera journalists detained in Egypt said they are being held arbitrarily after the prosecution's case against them turned out to include footage of a trotting horse by Sky News Arabia, a Somalia documentary from the BBC, and excerpts of a speech by a Kenyan government official.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/apr/10/peter-greste-al-jazeera-egypt-trial-journalists-footage

Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste billed $180k to see evidence against him

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/al-jazeera-journalist-peter-greste-billed-180k-to-see-evidence-against-him/story-e6frg6so-1226919644166

9 Ludicrous Pieces Of Evidence Used In Egypt To Jail Al Jazeera Journalists, From Gotye To Sheep Farming

It would be funny if it wasn't so utterly tragic.

Prosecutors in Egypt used bizarre clips from pop videos, a journalist's holiday photos and documentaries about Somalia and Kenya (not Egypt) to prove that the three Al Jazeera journalists had disseminated false information and consorted with the Muslim Brotherhood - now a banned terror organisation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/23/al-jazeera-jail-gotye-she_n_5521245.html

Edited August 30, 2015 by dexterm

[sirineou]

The apologists for a certain Middle Eastern country on this forum clearly have the hidden agenda of besmirching Al Jazeera and all who work for it.

Getting back to the OP, if you look at the evidence in the original trial the Egyptian case was a farce. The Egyptian justice system and government would have been better advised to release the accused and hoped people would forget this shameful and ridiculous travesty

Video evidence used against al-Jazeera journalists filmed by other networks

Three al-Jazeera journalists detained in Egypt said they are being held arbitrarily after the prosecution's case against them turned out to include footage of a trotting horse by Sky News Arabia, a Somalia documentary from the BBC, and excerpts of a speech by a Kenyan government official.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/apr/10/peter-greste-al-jazeera-egypt-trial-journalists-footage

Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste billed $180k to see evidence against him

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/al-jazeera-journalist-peter-greste-billed-180k-to-see-evidence-against-him/story-e6frg6so-1226919644166

9 Ludicrous Pieces Of Evidence Used In Egypt To Jail Al Jazeera Journalists, From Gotye To Sheep Farming

It would be funny if it wasn't so utterly tragic.

Prosecutors in Egypt used bizarre clips from pop videos, a journalist's holiday photos and documentaries about Somalia and Kenya (not Egypt) to prove that the three Al Jazeera journalists had disseminated false information and consorted with the Muslim Brotherhood - now a banned terror organisation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/23/al-jazeera-jail-gotye-she_n_5521245.html

Yes all true

but AlJazzera no good, Fox news Gooooood

[Thakkar]

Arbitrary justice is injustice, even if it's perpetrated against someone you deem deserving of punishment. Acceptance of such diminishes all of us.

The Egyptian government cannot have it both ways. They want to show that they are a modern country with a robust legal system. But pretending to use legal means while running a kangaroo court that upholds trumped up charges on spurious grounds is fooling few and the international outcry against these verdicts is well justified.

Whether you are for or against Al Jazeera, this whole saga is a travesty of justice. While Mubarak may be out of power, little has changed.

Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/who/wontgetfooledagain.html

T

[Jingthing]

Never suggested jailing these journos is in any way acceptable. Just calling out the BS claiming AJ doesn't have a strong bias. The current Egyptian government is indeed repressive but on the bright side they have been a strong voice against radical Islam. Pick your poison I suppose.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Jingthing

[manarak]

I like that both Fox news and Al Jazeera can exist.

They bring much needed balance, counterbalance and diversity into the political news world.

That being said, untrue news should not be tolerated anywhere.

[Jools]

No argument from me. This is not exactly brain surgery. Egypt may not be Saudi Arabia, bu they're not FREE either.

Egypt courts & judicial system is corrupt and is a sham. This is absolutely politically biased and the world needs to voice it's outrage on this decision as it goes against all principles of freedom of expression and free speech.

Egypt is scum and governments around the world should avoid having anything to do with them.

[JingerBen]

Never suggested jailing these journos is in any way acceptable. Just calling out the BS claiming AJ doesn't have a strong bias. The current Egyptian government is indeed repressive but on the bright side they have been a strong voice against radical Islam. Pick your poison I suppose.

Accusing an individual or organization of "bias " is one of the tactics of the propagandist. It's a general term, and can't be easily refuted. We're all guilty of it to one extent or another. You and I... Al-Jazeera and Fox News.

What can be refuted are specific accusations of lies and falsehood. Give me a convincing list of Al-Jazeera's deceptions and I'll put it in the same category as Fox News. Until then, I'll consider it largely credible.

The military dictatorship in Egypt has made a huge mistake in jailing these journalists. It will lead to their downfall, either by vote, if they allow elections, or by a bloody revolution.