Hopes of release grow for jailed reporters

Egypt's top court is due to hear an appeal on Thursday by three jailed Al-Jazeera journalists as expectations of their release grow amid a thawing of Cairo's ties with Qatar, the channel's base.

Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohammed of the satellite news broadcaster's English service were arrested in December 2013.

In June, the reporters, who authorities say lacked proper accreditation, were jailed for aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and spreading "false information" after the army ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013.

Greste and Fahmy each received seven-year prison terms, and Mohammed was imprisoned for 10 years.

The Brotherhood, which saw great electoral success after the fall of longtime leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011, has since been declared a "terrorist organization" in Egypt.

"The court could order a retrial, issue a new verdict or acquit the defendants," Fahmy's lawyer Negad al-Borai said, adding that the appeal could even be dismissed.

The three, who on Monday completed one year in prison, could also be freed on bail if a retrial is ordered, he said.

Marwa Omara, the fiancee of Fahmy, said the trial really targeted Al-Jazeera and Qatar, not the journalists, and so will be resolved politically. Fahmy is "a pawn in a cold war between Egypt and Qatar", she said.

Grounds for appeal

Greste's parents said they were hopeful the three would soon be released, saying they "trust the integrity of the Egyptian appeals system".

Rallies in support of the three were held in London and The Hague on Monday.

Al-Jazeera's appeal cited "flaws in the arrest procedure" and "the fact that evidence presented in court did not marry with the charges".

The reporters were arrested when Egypt and Qatar were at loggerheads after Morsi was removed by then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi following mass protests against his one-year rule.

Ties worsened when Qatar, a key backer of the Muslim Brotherhood, repeatedly denounced Sisi's overthrow of Morsi, and Cairo accused Al-Jazeera of biased coverage of the government crackdown that followed.

At least 1,400 people died in the crackdown last year when police broke up two pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo.

Thursday's hearing will come as ties between Qatar and Egypt improve following mediation by Saudi Arabia, a key Sisi backer.

Last month, Qatar joined its Gulf neighbors in supporting Egypt under Sisi in an attempt to end Doha's regional isolation over its backing for the Brotherhood.

AFP - AP

(China Daily 12/31/2014 page12)