Monday, June 23, 2014
On June 21, 2014, a letter from dozens of international correspondents was sent to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in advance of the June 23 verdict in the trial of Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed. This letter requested that President Sisi release the jailed journalists. Earlier today Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste were sentenced to seven years in prison, while their colleague Baher Mohamed was sentenced to 10 years for an additional charge of possession of ammunition.
June 21, 2014
Your Excellency President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi,
On behalf of the international correspondents in Cairo, we write to ask respectfully that you consider the release or pardon of our jailed colleagues Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed.
We understand the vital importance of judicial independence. Regardless of the specific allegations, we also believe that the punishment of the three journalists would have a gravely harmful effect on freedom of expression and the free press--- values celebrated in Egypt’s new constitution and around the world.
All three journalists are highly regarded professionals who have previously distinguished themselves for well-known international news organizations. Mohamed Fahmy previously worked at CNN. Peter Greste worked for the BBC. Baher Mohamed worked for the Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan’s largest and most prestigious news organizations, until April, 2013.
None of the three has any history of violence. None has any history of affiliation with, or sympathy for, groups accused of violence. None have belonged to any political movement.
Mohamed Fahmy, who spent much of his life in the West, marched with other Egyptians on June 30, 2013 to ask for a change of government and on July 26, 2013 in support of Egypt’s new leadership. Peter Greste is an Australian new to Egypt. He had spent only a few days in Egypt or any other Arab country before his arrest.
All three have now spent six months in prison awaiting their trial and its conclusion. They have already paid a heavy price for an alleged offense that--- according to the worst possible accusations—involved only words and pictures, not guns and bombs.
Mohamed Fahmy has been unable to receive adequate physiotherapy for an injured shoulder, and as a result he has permanently lost his full range of motion in one arm. Baher Mohamed is awaiting the birth of his third child.
As journalists, we support the release of all of our Egyptian or international colleagues who may be imprisoned for doing what they believed to be their jobs. Before the inauguration of your Excellency, the Committee to Protect Journalists counted sixteen journalists in Egyptian jails.
One of them, Abdullah Elshamy, was released this week for humanitarian reasons, because of his failing health. We very much appreciate his release. It has encouraged our hopes of freedom and clemency for others.
The case of Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed is unique because of their respected careers at prestigious international news organizations. Most of the international correspondents working in Cairo know at least one of them personally. Their case has drawn the attention of the world.
The case is also now urgent because the court is scheduled to deliver its verdict on June 23.
Adly Mansour, the current president of the Supreme Constitutional Court and the former interim president, has also expressed support for a swift return of the journalists to their families.
“Notwithstanding the independence of the judiciary authority and foremost all the rights guaranteed by the law,” Mr. Mansour wrote in a public letter to the family of Peter Greste, “I would like to assure you in my capacity as president of Egypt that I will spare no effort to work toward the speedy resolution of the case in a fashion consistent with the law and that guarantees the reunion of the family in the near future.”
Whatever the verdict, we firmly believe that the release of the journalists— by acquittal, presidential pardon or some other act of clemency--- will send a positive message to Egypt and the world. It will demonstrate the confidence and stability of the government as well as an appreciation of the important role of journalism.
We respectfully request that you use whatever legal powers you can as the elected president to help secure the release of our three colleagues.
Sincerely,
Sharif Abdel Kouddous
Correspondent
The Nation
Sophie Anmuth
Freelance journalist
Katie Baker
Managing Editor
The Daily Beast
Alessandra Bajec
Kate Benyon-Tinker
Cairo Producer
BBC
Ian Black
Middle East Editor
The Guardian
Stina Blomgren
Swedish Television, SVT
Nadéra Bouazza
Freelance journalist
El Watan, Slate
Andrea Böhm
Middle East Correspondent
DIE ZEIT, Germany
Theresa Breuer
Freelance Journalist
Laura Cappon
Correspondent
Radio Populare, Italy
Edith Chapin
International Editor
National Public Radio
Francesca Cicardi
Correspondent
La Razon, Spain
Andy Clarke
London Bureau Chief
CBS News
Richard Colebourne
Middle East Bureau Chief
BBC
Tom Dale
Contributor
The Independent
Puk Damsgard
Middle East Correspondent
Danish Broadcasting Corporation
Borzou Daragahi
Correspondent
The Financial Times
Laura Dean
Freelance Journalist
Vanessa Descouraux
Correspondent
Radio France
Sonia Dridi
Correspondent
France 24
Karim El-Gawhary
Correspondent
Austrian Radio and TV ORF
Susanne El Khafif
Deutschlandradio
Sarah El Sirgany
Independent Journalist
Miriam Elder
Foreign Editor
BuzzFeed
Samuel Forey
Freelance Journalist
Ricard Gonzalez
Charlene Gubash
Producer
NBC News
Marion Guenard
Correspondent
Le Monde
Orla Guerin
Cairo Correspondent
BBC
Martin Gehlen
Middle East Correspondent
Tagesspiegel
Julia Gerlach
Correspondent
Berliner Zeitung
Peter Hessler
The New Yorker
Kim Hjelmgaard
Deputy Foreign Editor
USA TODAY
Francois Hume-Ferkatadji
Freelance Journalist
Marc Innaro
Cairo Bureau Chief
RAI—Italian TV and Radio
Ane Irazabal
EiTB, Basque
Amina Ismail
Correspondent
McClatchy Newspapers
Doug Jehl
Foreign Editor
The Washington Post
Roula Khalaf
Foreign Editor
Financial Times
Ashraf Khalil
Contributor
Time Magazine
Patrick Kingsley
Egypt Correspondent
The Guardian
Giovanna Loccatelli
Freelance Journalist
Ursula Lindsey
Chronicle of Higher Education
Louisa Loveluck
The Christian Science Monitor
Adam Makary
Producer
ABC News
Jared Malsin
Contributor
Time Magazine
Nadine Marroushi
Freelance journalist
Ester Meerman
KRO Radio, Netherlands
Sigurd Falkenberg Mikkelsen
Norwegian Broadcasting, NRK
Delphine Minoui
Correspondent
Le Figaro
Perrine Mouterde
Correspondent
Radio France Internationale and Libération
Ayman Mohyeldin
Foreign Correspondent
NBC News
Alex Ortiz
Correspondent
CBS News
Amel Pain
Middle East Bureau Chief
European Pressphoto Agency
Ruth Pollard
Middle East Correspondent
The Sydney Morning Herald & The Age
Mark Porubcansky
Foreign Editor
The Los Angeles Times
Adam Ramsey
Freelance Journalist
Claire Read
Producer
BBC Arabic
Max Rodenbeck
Mideast Bureau Chief
The Economist
Paula Rosas
El Correo
Jesse Rosenfeld
Contributor
The Daily Beast
Andrew Roy
World News Editor
BBC
Heba Saleh
Correspondent
Financial Times
Reza Sayah
Correspondent
CNN
Akram Shaban
Cairo Bureau Chief
BBC Arabic
Michael Slackman
Deputy International Editor
The New York Times
Richard Spencer
Middle East Correspondent and Bureau Chief
Daily and Sunday Telegraph
Bill Spindle
Middle East Bureau Chief
The Wall Street Journal
Derek Stoffel
Middle East Correspondent
CBC News
Sherine Tadros
Cairo Correspondent
SkyNews
Cecilia Udden
Sveriges Radio
Ruth Vandewalle
Freelance contributor to De Standaard, Nieuwsuur, VRT, VPRO, Belgium
Anne Françoise Weber
Freelance Journalist
Pascal Weber
Correspondent
SRF Swiss TV
Jon Williams
Managing Editor, International News
ABC News
Nancy Youssef
Middle East Bureau Chief
McClatchy Newspapers
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