Al Jazeera journalists convicted and sentenced in Egypt sparks protest
Alli McCracken, national coordinator for CODEPINK
Human Rights activists staged a protest Tuesday in front of the Egyptian Defense Office in Washington, D.C., seeking the release of three Al Jazeera English journalists convicted of aiding terrorists.
They expressed their outrage over the recent convicted and sentenced by an Egyptian court for these three journalists who were essentially doing their job.
The journalists — Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed already have been in prison in Cairo for six months when the court handed down a sentence of several years in prison.
The three Al Jazeera English were accused of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false news and endangering national security. Journalists around the globe called the charges false.
The three had covered the often violent, anti-government demonstrations in the country last year, when they were wrongfully detained and charged with terrorism-related offenses. One of the defendants got a ten-year sentence; two received a seven-year decision. The worldwide campaign on behalf of the three reporters wants the Egyptian military-based ruling clique to know this: “Journalism is not a crime!”
Leading the demonstration outside the Embassy was CODEPINK, a national peace and justice group. Alli McCracken, a national coordinator for the organization, spoke on camera about the action.
Bill Hughes is an attorney, author, actor and photographer. His latest book is “Byline Baltimore.” It can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/William-Hughes/e/B00N7MGPXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1