Egyptian court Monday jailed three AL-Jazeera journalists on charges of aiding terrorists and endangering national security.
Former BBC correspondent Peter Greste, former CNN journalist Mohamed Fahmy and a local producer Baher Mohamed were jailed for seven, seven and 10 years respectively. Four other students and activists involved in the cases were also jailed for 10 years.
The ruling came after the US Secretary of State John Kerry met with the Egyptian president and raised the issue of journalists facing trial. Kerry on Monday, told press that he had called Egypt’s foreign minister after the Egyptian’s court decision was announced and expressed ‘serious displeasure over the ‘chilling draconian verdict.’
Amnesty international, today, called the decision a ‘dark day for media freedom.’
"Egypt’s reputation, and especially the reputation of its judiciary as an independent institution, are at stake," said U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay in the run up to the court trial.
The court verdict comes despite high-profile media campaigns, by several governments and non-governmental organisations, to secure the release of the journalists.
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