Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence is making international headlines. Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence news reports reveal that the Al Jazeera journalists will be staying years behind bars.
According to Al Jazeera America, an Egyptian court has ruled the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence for two journalists. Both journalists will reportedly be held in prison for a minimum of seven years, and another to 10, on charges which include aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and reporting false news.
On Monday, an Egyptian judge delivered the verdict on Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence. The sentence was against journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. Greste is an Australian citizen while Fahmy and Mohamed are Canadian and Egyptian citizens respectively.
According to reports, Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison while Mohamed got an additional sentencing of three years for possession of ammunition.
Other Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence were also tried in absentia. The other journalists were Dominic Kane and Sue Turton, whose sentences amounted to 10 years in prison each.
Before the final verdicts on Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence, Al Jazeera has reportedly always rejected charges against its journalists. The news network continues to stand by and maintains its journalists' innocence.
In December, Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed have been arrested in Cairo for covering stories on the outcome of former President Mohamed Morsi's removal from position in July by the army.
Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence was decided upon in the prosecution saying that Greste, Al Jazeera's East Africa correspondent, and his Egypt bureau colleagues helped the Brotherhood and produced false reports on Egypt's situation.
The Muslim Brotherhood reportedly supported Morsi. They have been listed as a "terrorist" organization by the interim Egyptian government before the arrest and the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence.
Throughout the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence hearing, the defense maintained the journalists' innocence and said that they were wrongly arrested, while the prosecution also failed to prove any of the charges.
Fahmy's brother Adel Fahmy attended the session on the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence. He said, 'They just ruined a family.' Fahmy's mother, Wafa Bassiouni also shouted, 'Who did he kill to get this sentence?'
Adel said that though they had little faith in the system, they would still appeal the verdict on the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence. He said, 'This is not a system. This is not a country. They've ruined our lives. It shows everything that's wrong with the system: it's corrupt. This country is corrupt through and through.'
Meanwhile, commenting on the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence, Amnesty International said in a news release, 'The only reason these three men are in jail is because the Egyptian authorities don't like what they have to say.' Philip Luther, the group's trial observer also said that the prosecution on the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence have 'failed to produce a single shred of solid evidence linking the journalists to a terrorism organization or proving they had falsified news footage.'
Luther added, 'Consigning these men to years in prison after such a farcical spectacle is a travesty of justice,". "The Egyptian judiciary has proved time and time again that it is either unwilling or incapable of conducting an impartial and fair trial when it comes to those perceived to support the former president.'
According to The Guardian, in addition to the Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence on Monday, four students and activists indicted in the case were also sentenced to seven years. The country also reportedly convicted a group of 16 Egyptians suspected of being Brotherhood members, facing up to 25 years in prison.
Al Anstey, Al Jazeera's English managing director called for his colleagues to be released despite the final verdict on Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence.
Anstey said in a statement, 'Today three colleagues and friends were sentenced and will continue behind bars for doing a brilliant job of being great journalists. There is no justification whatsoever in the detention of our three colleagues for even one minute. To have detained them for 177 days is an outrage. To have sentenced them defies logic, sense and any semblance of justice.'
Meanwhile, the verdicts on Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence has ignited distress amongst Western leaders. British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement, I am appalled by the guilty verdicts handed down today against Egyptian and international journalists in Egypt.' Hague added that he intends to summon Egypt's ambassador to Britain to his office on Monday to address the issue.
Egypt Al Jazeera journalists prison sentence has not yet produced a response from the United States. However, Secretary of State John Kerry has already made a surprise visit to Egypt on Sunday to urge the Egyptian government to uphold press freedom.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
