Jailed Al Jazeera journalists pardoned by Egyptian president

Three Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt have been pardoned by President Abdel Fattah al Sisi. Canadian Mohamed Fahmy was forgiven in a presidential decree along with prominent human rights activists, according to a lawyer and Egypt’s state-run news agency. One of the others is his colleague Baher Mohammed who was also jailed at the same time. Fahmy and Mohammed, who could be released today, were handed a three-year prison sentences last month for broadcasting what a court described as “false news” and biased coverage.

The prosecution presented no evidence that we did anything wrong and so for us to be convicted as terrorists on no evidence at all is frankly outrageous.

Peter Greste, speaking upon his release

Colleague Peter Greste, who was also sentenced in the case, was among those pardoned. Unlike his colleagues, Mr Greste, an Australian, had already been deported. Around 100 have been pardoned in total. Human rights groups have accused Egyptian authorities of widespread violations since the army toppled the country’s first democratically elected president, Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, in 2013 after mass protests against his rule. Egyptian security forces arrested dozens of activists last year for violating a 2013 law banning protests without a permit.