Outrage as Egypt Jails Jazeera Journalists
An Egyptian court sentenced three Al-Jazeera journalists including Australia's Peter Greste to jail terms from seven to 10 years Monday in a verdict denounced internationally as "chilling" and "unjust".
Greste and Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fadel Fahmy each got seven years, while Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed received two sentences -- one for seven years and another for three.
Eleven defendants tried in absentia, including one Dutch journalist and two British journalists, were given 10-year sentences.
The verdict provoked an international outcry and raised fears of growing media restrictions in Egypt.
The White House called on Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to pardon the three journalists.
"We call on the Egyptian government to pardon these individuals or commute their sentences so that they can be released immediately and (to) grant clemency for all politically motivated sentences," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
The White House called for clemency after Secretary of State John Kerry -- a day after visiting Cairo -- called the verdicts handed down against the journalists as "chilling and draconian."
"The prosecution of journalists for reporting information that does not coincide with the government of Egypt's narrative flouts the most basic standards of media freedom and represents a blow to democratic progress in Egypt," Earnest said.
"Perhaps most disturbing, is (that) this verdict comes as part of the succession of prosecutions and verdicts that are fundamentally incompatible with the basic precepts of human rights and democratic governance
"We strongly urge President al-Sisi, in the spirit of his pledge to review all human rights legislation, to provide the protections for free expression and assembly as well as the fair trial safeguards that are required by Egypt's international obligations."
Earlier on Monday, Kerry told journalists in Baghdad that "today's conviction is obviously a chilling and draconian sentence."
He said he had "registered our serious displeasure" with Cairo.
"Injustices like these simply cannot stand if Egypt is to move forward in the way that President al-Sisi and Foreign Minister (Sameh) Shoukri told me just yesterday that they aspire to see their country advance," Kerry said, in a statement.
"Egyptian society is stronger and sustainable when all of its citizens have a say and a stake in its success. Today's verdicts fly in the face of the essential role of civil society, a free press, and the real rule of law."
He said the trial "lacked many fundamental norms of due process" and added that he spoke with Shoukri again Monday "to make very clear our deep concerns about these convictions and sentences."
The Australian government said it was "shocked" by the verdict.
"We are deeply dismayed that a sentence has been imposed and appalled at the severity of it," Canberra's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.
"It is hard to credit that the court in this case could have reached this conclusion," she added.
Al-Jazeera chief Mustafa Sawaq said in Doha: "We condemn... this kind of unjust verdict. ... We are shocked."
Greste's brother Andrew said he was devastated.
"It is definitely not what we were expecting. I was hoping for acquittal... we will continue to fight for his freedom," he said.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said she was "shocked and alarmed" by the verdicts and urged a review of Egyptian laws.
"I believe these mass trials and death penalty convictions are obscene, and a complete travesty of justice," Pillay said in a statement.
Such charges are "far too broad and vague," she said, insisting they "reinforce the belief that the real target is freedom of expression."
"It is not a crime to carry a camera," she said, adding: "It is not a crime to criticize the authorities or to interview people who hold unpopular views."
Pillay urged the authorities to "promptly release" all journalists and media employees jailed for doing their job.
She also voiced alarm that for journalists, bloggers and activists in Egypt, "harassment, detention and prosecution ... as well as violent attacks by unidentified assailants, have become commonplace."
The U.N. rights chief, a former international judge, called on Egypt's government to review the laws used as a basis for the "highly contentious trials" and urged the judiciary to review the cases.
"There is a risk that miscarriage of justice is becoming the norm in Egypt," she said.
In The Hague, Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said he had summoned Egypt's ambassador and would raise the matter with his EU colleagues after Dutch journalist Rena Netjes, tried in absentia, "did not get a fair trial".
London also said it was summoning Cairo's envoy, and David Cameron's spokesman said the premier was "completely appalled" by the verdicts issued in absentia against two British journalists working for Al-Jazeera.
Human Rights Watch's Joe Stork said the verdict shows "how Egypt's judges have been caught up in the anti-Muslim Brotherhood hysteria fostered by President al-Sisi".
But the foreign ministry in Cairo said Egypt's "judiciary enjoys full independence" and stressed that the defendants "still have the right to appeal".
Of the six defendants in custody along with Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed, four were sentenced to seven years and two were acquitted.
"They will pay for this, they will pay for this. I promise!" Fahmy shouted from the dock after hearing the verdict.
A presidency official said Sisi "legally can't (pardon them)... a pardon can be given only after the final court ruling".
All of the defendants had been accused of aiding the blacklisted Brotherhood and tarnishing Egypt's reputation after the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi by "spreading false news".
Since the army ousted Morsi in July 2013, the authorities have been incensed by the Qatari network's coverage of their deadly crackdown on his supporters.
They consider Al-Jazeera to be the voice of Qatar and accuse Doha of backing the Brotherhood. The Gulf state has denounced the repression of the Islamist movement's supporters which has killed more than 1,400 people.
"All journalists should fear for themselves now that there is no justice. Politics is the master," said defense lawyer Shaaban Saeed.
Al-Jazeera says only nine of the 20 defendants are on its staff, including the two British reporters based abroad.
Sixteen defendants are Egyptians who were accused of belonging to the Brotherhood, which the authorities designated a "terrorist organisation" in December.
The four foreigners -- Greste, Netjes and Britons Sue Turton and Dominic Kane -- were alleged to have collaborated with and assisted their Egyptian co-defendants by providing media material, as well as editing and broadcasting it.
The authorities also say the accused journalists were operating without valid accreditation.
The defendants had denounced the trial as "unfair and political", charging that evidence had been "fabricated".
Prosecutors showed video from a tourism report, not even produced by Al-Jazeera, and images and audio recordings in which the defendants were alleged to have falsely portrayed a "civil war".
Greste and Fahmy were arrested in a Cairo hotel on December 29.
The award-winning Greste formerly worked with the BBC and Fahmy, the Cairo bureau chief of Al-Jazeera English who previously worked with CNN, has no known Brotherhood ties.
Source: Agence France Presse
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