#FreeAJStaff: world stands shoulder to shoulder

T UESDAY 24 JUNE 2014

Exactly 24 hours after three Al Jazeera journalists ere jaile! in E"y#t for
terror relate! char"es$ hun!re!s of collea"ues ha%e sta"e! a silent #rotest in their
su##ort&
Object 1
Staff from the BBC and other news organisations held a one minute silent
protest outside New Broadcasting House in London at 9.41am, the time on
Monda that !eter "reste, an #ustralian $ournalist, Baher Mohammed, an
%gptian producter, and Mohammed &ahm, acting Cairo 'ureau chief,
were $ailed for se(en ears each.
Sue )urton, another #l *a+eera $ournalist who pre(iousl wor,ed for Channel
4 News, was sentenced to 1- ears in her a'sence.
BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking
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Journalists in London protest against sentencing of al-Jazeera staff in Egypt
#journalismisnotacrime #FreeJ!taff
"#$% & - '" Jun '()"
Protests against the sentences began last night. The Channel 4 News team taped up their
mouths,filming the results and airing them on the 7pm show, with the show's end credits led by
a taped-up on !now.
)his morning, the newl elected %gptian !resident #'del &attah al.Sisi
dashed hopes that the three could 'e released under a pardon.
/0e will not interfere in $udicial rulings,/ he said in a tele(ised speech at a
militar graduation ceremon in Cairo. /0e must respect $udicial rulings and
not criticise them e(en if others do not understand this./
1ights groups and western go(ernments ha(e rounded on %gpt for $ailing
the three. )he were sentenced for aiding a /terrorist organisation/
stemming from an inter(iew with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
)heir $ailing comes against a 'ac,drop of ongoing concerns o(er human
rights in %gpt. #t the wee,end, a court in Cairo upheld death sentences
against 123 supporters of the ousted Muslim Brotherhood.
4n #pril, a $udge in Mina in southern %gpt sentenced 1,5-- people to
death in two separate cases on charges that included storming police
stations and ,illing at least two police officers.
Rachel Thompson @raeont*eroad
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BBC Beirut in a rare moment of silence+ #FreeJ!taff #journalismisnotacrime+
@carinetor,ey @juliamacfarlane
-#'. & - '" Jun '()"
Today, staff from "roadcasting #ouse were $oined by representati%es from &l a'eera and !(y,
among others. )any appeared with blac( tape o%er their mouths to represent the *gagging*
aspect of the %erdicts. They also carried signs bearing the slogan+ *,-ree&!taff*.
*ohn Sweene, a reporter with the BBC6s !anorama, said that alt'ough he
does not thin, the protest /will reall achie(e much/, it was an opportunit
for $ournalists to ta,e a stand. He appealed to mem'ers of the pu'lic /not to
go on holida to %gpt, there are lots of other sunn places the could go
to/.
Maria Hadjiconstanti @&aria/adji
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l Jazeera London staff tape t*eir mout*s in support of our jailed colleagues+
#FreeJ!taff #journalismisnotacrime
0#)1 & - '" Jun '()"
Protests were also held by staff at the !ydney )orning #erald in &ustralia.
Marcus Strom @strom2m
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3oday @sm* journos stopwork4gt5 6e stand united for @7eter8reste @repent))
and all #FreeJstaff #journalismisnotacrime
'#"' & - '" Jun '()"
.n the /!, the New 0or( Times left its bac( page blan( as a powerful message about the
%erdicts.
Tom Forbes @tomfor,es-'
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powerful message on t*e ,ack page of today9s :ew ;ork 3imes+ @7eter8reste
#FreeJ!taff
))#'0 & - '' Jun '()"