Al Jazeera Condemns Jail Sentence for Network's Journalists

Al Jazeera's Acting Director General Mostefa Souag called an Egyptian court's decision to sentence three of company's journalists to three years in prison "deliberate attack on press freedom."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Al Jazeera media network condemned Saturday an Egyptian court's decision to sentence three of its journalists to three years in prison.

Earlier in the day, three Al Jazeera journalists were sentenced for alleged links to the Muslim Brotherhood which is considered a terrorist organization by Cairo.

"Today's verdict is yet another deliberate attack on press freedom. It is a dark day for the Egyptian judiciary; rather than defend liberties and a free and fair media, they have compromised their independence for political reasons," Al Jazeera's Acting Director General Mostefa Souag was quoted by the broadcaster as saying.

Souag said that the whole case had been "heavily politicized" and lacked justice, and underscored that Al Jazeera, fully supported by global rights groups and media outlets, would continue to call for freedom for its staff.

The Muslim Brotherhood was an Egyptian political and religious movement, as well as a political party. Its candidate Mohamed Morsi won the presidential election in 2012, but was ousted the following year by the Egyptian military as a result of mass anti-government protests.

In 2013, three Al Jazeera journalists — Australian Peter Greste, Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed — were arrested in Egypt while documenting unrest which followed the overthrow of Morsi. Later, the reporters were found guilty of aiding a terrorist organization allegedly connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Initially, Greste and Fahmy received seven years in prison, while Mohamed was given 10 years. Earlier this year, an appeals court ordered a retrial, as the verdict proved little evidence, and Fahmy and Mohamed were freed on bail, while Greste was deported to his homeland.