Freed Australian Peter Greste vows to remain a journalist

Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste arrived home in Australia on Thursday after his release from Egypt where he was detained for more than 400 days. Greste, 49, had a private family reunion after disembarking from his flight before walking out to meet supporters and give a brief statement to the media. The award-winning correspondent was on Sunday deported to Cyprus from Cairo, where he was being held for allegedly aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Greste is due to hold a press conference later Thursday with his mother Lois, father Juris and brothers Andrew and Mike. Greste paid  tribute to his “incredible” family and praised their “dignity, passion and resolve”.

I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am to be here. This is a moment I have rehearsed in my mind at least 400 times over the past 400 days and it feels absolutely awesome to be here with my family.

Peter Greste, addressing reporters at Brisbane Airport

Greste said that despite his ordeal he planned to remain a journalist. ”I don’t want to give this up, my job up. I’m a correspondent, it’s what I do,” he said, adding that he was now considering his options. Greste’s colleagues, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian national Baher Mohamed, remain in prison. They were jailed for between seven and 10 years on charges including spreading lies to help a terrorist organisation – a reference to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Fahmy has renounced his Egyptian citizenship in an effort to secure his freedom under a law that allows foreigners to be deported.

World Greste