Al Jazeera has condemned the verdict of an Egyptian court, which today sentenced three Al Jazeera journalists to three years in prison in a retrial of a case that has outraged supporters of press freedom. “Today’s verdict defies logic and common sense,” said Al Jazeera acting director general Mostefa Souag. “Our colleagues Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy will now have to return to prison, and Peter Greste is sentenced in absentia.”
The journalists were charged with aiding a terrorist organization. Al Jazeera has insisted the journalists were doing their jobs and no evidence to support the charges was ever presented in court.
“Today’s verdict is yet another deliberate attack on press freedom,” said Souag. “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.”
Greste left prison in February.