News Digest

America condemns verdict after Egypt jails al-Jazeera journalists for 3 years

America has said it is “deeply disappointed and concerned” at the three-year jail sentences passed in Egypt on three al-Jazeera journalists. Echoing criticism from Britain, Canada and Australia, the US state department urged Egypt to “redress the verdict” on the reporters, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy, Egyptian Baher Mohamed and Australian Peter Greste, who were convicted of “spreading false news”. State department spokesman John Kirby said: “We urge the government of Egypt to take all available measures to redress this verdict, which undermines the very freedom of expression necessary for stability and development.”

The freedom of the press to investigate, report, and comment - even when its perspective is unpopular or disputed - is fundamental to any free society and essential to democratic development.

U.S. state department spokesman John Kirby

The three men were jailed for up to ten years in July 2014 after being accused of aiding the banned Muslim Brotherhood group. Their convictions were overturned in January this year and they were freed in February to await retrial. After the latest court ruling, they are now seeking a pardon from the president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. On Sunday, Mr Greste insisted the men did nothing wrong, saying: "We will continue to fight this, using any available means open to us. This is a matter of natural justice.“

We broke no laws, we did nothing unethical or illegal or immoral. And so it’s just incomprehensible to see how the court can come to this conclusion.

Peter Greste