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Peter Greste, Al Jazeera Journalist, Freed From Jail In Egypt

After More Than A Year In Prison, Al Jazeera Journalist Is Free
Jack Sommers
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Australian journalist Peter Greste has been freed from an Egyptian jail after 400 days of imprisonment and has left the country, according to officials.

Mr Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohammed Fahmy, and Egyptian Mohammed Baher were sentenced to at least seven years in prison on terrorism-related charges last year in a trial described as a sham by rights groups.

There was no immediate word on the other two, though it appears they remain in prison.

Mr Greste boarded an EgyptAir flight to Larnaca, Cyprus that took off on Sunday afternoon.

Egypt's official news agency reported that Mr Greste was released after more than a year behind bars following a presidential "approval".

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Mr Greste's employer tweeted:

In a statement, Mostefa Souag, acting Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network said: “We’re pleased for Peter and his family that they are to be reunited.

"It has been an incredible and unjustifiable ordeal for them, and they have coped with incredible dignity. Peter’s integrity is not just intact, but has been further enhanced by the fortitude and sacrifice he has shown for his profession of informing the public.

“We will not rest until Baher and Mohamed also regain their freedom. The Egyptian authorities have it in their power to finish this properly today, and that is exactly what they must do.”

Al Jazeera English managing director Al Anstey told CNN: "There is no celebration in the release of innocent people."

A law passed late last year gave Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi the power to deport foreign defendants or convicts in the interests of "national security".

The law was mooted as a potential legal instrument with which to free the journalists.

El-Sissi had repeatedly said he wants to end the case, which has prompted a storm of international criticism.

Their case triggered hashtags of support #freeAJstaff and #journalismisnotacrime to circulate on social media, with prominent journalists posing with tape over their mouths to protest what they saw as censorship.

9 Ridiculous Things Used As Evidence In The Trial Of Al Jazeera Journalists, Writes Jessica Elgot

9 Ridiculous Things Used As Evidence In The Trial Of Al Jazeera Journalists
Gotye(01 of09)
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The Gotye song Somebody That I Used To Know was presented to the court, according to Guardian reporter Patrick Kingsley, with no explanation given.An engineer, who helped prepare the evidence and signed a document saying it was incriminating, told the court he had not analysed it and couldn't say whether it pointed to the journalists' guilt.
Peter Greste's holiday snaps(02 of09)
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According to the Australian, members of the court could barely stifle giggles when pictures of former BBC journalist Peter Greste's laptop was analysed in court.Pictures of his parents on holiday in Latvia and Germany were shown to the court, without any comment on why they formed evidence against Greste. (credit:Getty Images)
A Panorama documentary about Somalia(03 of09)
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The court was shown a report on Somalia Greste had done for the BBC’s Panorama program — for which he had won a Peabody Award.“It shows there is not a single shred of evidence against us,” Greste said at the time. “But I’m also very proud — I won a Peabody for that.“I wish they had shown more of that programme because it shows the sort of journalism we do rather than the sort of journalism we are alleged to have done.” (credit:Getty Images)
A Kenyan news conference(04 of09)
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The short video was shown to the court from Greste's laptop on April 11. His lawyer told the judge: “Your Honour, it has taken several sessions of this court to reach a point where we are watching videos from Kenya and Somalia which have nothing to do with Egypt.” (credit:Getty Images)
A doctored picture of Mohamad Fahmy(05 of09)
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Al Jazeera quoted reporters in the room as saying the picture of Fahmy standing behind former Egyptian military chief Mohamed Hussein Tantawihad been "clearly doctored".“But, doctored or not doctored,” his brother Adel Fahmy told the Globe and Mail, “there’s nothing wrong with it because it was taken prior to the Muslim Brotherhood regime.” (credit:Getty Images)
Footage of sheep(06 of09)
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Footage of sheep farming was submitted as part of the video evidence, according to the Globe and Mail. No further comment was made. (credit:Getty Images)
A clip from Sky News Arabic(07 of09)
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None of the journalists have ever worked there and had nothing to do with the clip that was shown, according to the Australian.
A documentary about horses in Egypt(08 of09)
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None of the journalists ever worked on the documentary in question. (credit:AP)
A documentary about football in Egypt(09 of09)
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Greste did work on this documentary for Al Jazeera, but he said he showed exactly the opposite of what the prosecution were trying to prove."We're accused of showing that the country is at war. This story shows the opposite. It's a story that shows we have no agenda,' he shouted at the judge when the clip was shown on May 22. (credit:Getty Images)
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