Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi September 23 pardoned Al-Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, who had been sentenced and imprisoned for aiding a terrorist organization.
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Beyond Fahmy’s personal good news, however, the Egyptian president’s pardon hardly signifies any movement toward greater press freedom or better standards of justice in that country.
He was also within tim’s suite, in the tv screen on, if he listened his name with the exceptional colleague’s name previewed going on a collection of presidential pardons.
Al-Jazeera called for dropping charges against seven other journalists convicted in absentia the case known locally as the “Mariott Cell”. The watchdog says there are at least 18 journalists behind bars in Egypt due to their work. A free, diverse and independent media is essential in a democratic society and we encourage the Egyptian authorities to promote a safe environment for journalists.
Among the outpouring of worldwide criticism declaring the trials a sham and calling for the journalist’s release, few voices were as prominent or consistent as Fahmy’s. “I would have deported them”.
“Our families have suffered so much since the beginning of this trial, and we’re very happy that el-Sissi took this action and released us”.
Judges cited the courage and resourcefulness of Fahmy and his teammates as they pursued a hard story.
The pardons were issued by Mr Sisi ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha and a day before he travels to New York to address the UN General Assembly.
The trio was initially sentenced to prison in June 2014 but a court ordered their retrial earlier this year.
He routinely shouted from the prisoner’s box during court proceedings, wrote open letters decrying the case against him and his colleagues, and spoke out against a regime that hampered the pursuit of journalism within its borders.
An award-winning former BBC reporter, Greste said in an interview with Al-Jazeera that he was “overjoyed” by their release. “It was surreal”. Mr. Fahmy said, speaking of the psychological torment his return to prison caused.
For now, he has been spending every moment with his wife, the love of his life who he said was one of his only sources of hope when he returned to prison because he knew she would continue vigorously fighting for his release.
The 41-year-old’s troubles began in December 2013 when he was working as the Cairo bureau chief for Qatar-based satellite news broadcaster Al Jazeera English.
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His wife Marwa Omara previously told the Canadian Press that Fahmy hailed from a family of serviceman and considered himself a “proud Egyptian”.
