Al Jazeera America will mark a year since the arrests of Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed with a primetime special, “Journalism Is Not A Crime,” hosted by John Seigenthaler.
The three Al Jazeera journalists were detained in Egypt on a charge of “spreading false news deemed damaging to the Egyptian state,” sparking worldwide protests by journalists and others. The “Journalism Is Not A Crime” social media campaign has included world leaders and journalists from news organizations around the world. In June, Fahmy and Greste were sentenced to seven years and Mohamed to ten years. The journalists will appeal their sentences before the Egyptian court in January. Al Jazeera has launched an online petition and is asking for the public’s support.
The special airs next Monday at 9 p.m. ET.