Peter Greste's parents have spearheaded the campaign for his release Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste will not rest until his colleagues are released from prison in Egypt, his family says.
After 400 days behind bars, Mr Greste was freed and deported on Sunday. He landed safely in Cyprus, on his way to his native Australia.
He was arrested in 2013 and tried on charges that included spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood.
Two al-Jazeera colleagues, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, remain jailed.
Mr Fahmy, who holds dual Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, may be freed after having his Egyptian nationality revoked, presidential sources said.
But there are still concerns about Mr Mohamed, who holds no dual nationality.
Mr Greste spoke about his concerns for his colleagues to his family after his release.
'Small cogs'
Speaking at a press conference in the Australian city of Brisbane, brother Andrew Greste said: "We want to acknowledge that Peter's two other colleagues are still there."
His father Juris Greste said that they felt very deeply for those left behind.
Andrew Greste also thanked all those who had supported his brother and worked for his release.
"We are small cogs in this massive campaign," he said.
The three men had been accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in 2013.
Timeline: Journalists' detention
Mr Fahmy (left) and Mr Mohamed remain in jail 29 December 2013: Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy arrested in police raid on Cairo's Marriott Hotel. Baher Mohamed later arrested at home
- 29 January 2014: 20 people including the three journalists referred to trial, charged with spreading false news, belonging to a terrorist organisation and operating without a permit
- 22 February: First court appearance of the three journalists
- 23 June: Defendants sentenced to seven years, with Baher Mohamed receiving an additional three years
- 12 November: President Sisi signs decree allowing repatriation of foreign prisoners
- 1 January 2015: Highest court orders retrial, but the three journalists not allowed bail
How journalists were jailed in Egypt
Who are the jailed journalists?
All the defendants denied the charges against them and said their trial was a sham.
Mr Fahmy and Mr Greste and were sentenced to seven years in prison and Mr Mohamed to 10.
Mr Greste's release came after a long international campaign.
His family said that he was in "great spirits" and would return to Australia when he felt ready.
"He is safe, healthy and very very happy to be on his way home," his brother said.
His mother, Lois Greste, said she had been quietly dreaming about this moment.
"I think he will recover well," she added.
Orla Guerin: "Peter Greste and his colleagues insist that the only thing they are guilty of is doing their jobs"
The first hints of her son's release came in November, when President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he was considering granting pardons to the two foreign al-Jazeera journalists.
He had earlier signed a decree on repatriating foreign prisoners.
Then in January, Egypt's top court ordered a retrial of all three men.
Mr Greste's release was eventually confirmed by a statement issued by the Egyptian Interior Ministry.
Recommended article: Chomsky: We Are All – Fill in the Blank.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
from Top Stories - Google News http://ift.tt/1yrLYpG
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment