Amnesty: Egypt must drop charges against journalists

Amnesty International reiterated its call for the dismissal of the cases against three journalists, including Al-Jazeera journalists Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Australian journalist Peter Greste yesterday.

“The continuing plight of Al-Jazeera journalists Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy must not be forgotten as their colleague Peter Greste is deported from Egypt,” the organisation said. Greste was deported from Egypt yesterday.

The three journalists were serving seven-year sentences for broadcasting “false news” and involvement with the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement. The international rights organisation has been calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all three men since their arrest in December 2013.

“The news that Peter Greste will finally be allowed to leave Egypt after more than a year in prison comes as a welcome relief, but nothing can make up for his ordeal. It is vital that in the celebratory fanfare surrounding his deportation the world does not forget the continuing ordeal of Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy who remain behind bars at Tora prison in Cairo,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

New Egyptian legislation permits the transfer of foreign nationals to their home countries to face trial or serve their sentences in cases of the “highest interest of the state”.

Peter Greste, an Australian national, and Mohamed Fahmy, a dual Egyptian-Canadian national, have been seeking deportation for more than a year.

“All three men are facing trumped up charges and were forced to endure a farcical trial marred by irregularities. Continuing to detain Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy is completely unjust and unwarranted,” said Sahraoui.

“It has become increasingly clear that the journalists have been used as political pawns in a dispute between the authorities of Egypt and the Qatar government, which owns the Al-Jazeera network. It is unacceptable that the lives of these men have been so carelessly toyed with,” Sahraoui said.