Al-Jazeera renews call for release of staff detained in Egypt

After the first day of hearing of the three Al-Jazeera English staff on trial in Egypt which has been adjourned until March 24, Al-Jazeera renewed its call for the release of their staff.

Al Anstey, managing director of Al-Jazeera English said:

“We are again disappointed that Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste, and Baher Mohamed were not released from prison today. The charges against our staff are without any substance and totally unjustified, we refute all the allegations labeled against our colleagues. Mohamed, Peter, and Baher are world-class journalists, and were simply doing the job of journalism covering and challenging all sides of the story in Egypt”.

He added: “To continue to keep them behind bars after such a long time in detention is simply outrageous, so we continue to call for their immediate release. The trial in Egypt is a trial of journalism itself, so we remain resolute in calling for freedom of speech, for the right for people to know, and for the immediate release of all of Al-Jazeera’s journalists in detention in Egypt”.

Mohamed, Fahmy and Greste of Al-Jazeera English have been detained since 29th December 2013. Al-Jazeera Arabic’s Abdullah Al Shamy has been detained without charge since August 14, 2013, and has been on hunger strike in protest for four weeks. The hashtag #FreeAJStaff has been viral worldwide, and institutions including the White House, EU and the UN have called for the release of the journalists, and for press freedoms to be upheld.