EGYPT/UK/FILE: Brother of Peter Greste arrives in Cairo, ahead of trial of Al Jazeera journalist along with two other English detainees, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed, accused of aiding 16 Egyptians belonging to a "terrorist organization

Record ID: 165710

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  • Title: EGYPT/UK/FILE: Brother of Peter Greste arrives in Cairo, ahead of trial of Al Jazeera journalist along with two other English detainees, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed, accused of aiding 16 Egyptians belonging to a "terrorist organization
  • Date: 19th February 2014
  • Summary: Clip 1: CAIRO, EGYPT (FILE - DECEMBER 11, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GATES OF TORA PRISON, WHERE DETAINED AL JAZEERA ENGLISH JOURNALISTS ARE BEING HELD CAIRO, EGYPT (FILE - JANUARY 8, 2014) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CLASHES BETWEEN POLICE AND PROTESTERS SUPPORTING FORMER PRESIDENT MOHAMED MORSI AT AL AZHAR UNIVERSITY Clip 2: CAIRO, EGYPT (FEBRUARY 18, 2014) (REUTERS) ANDREW GRESTE, BROTHER OF DETAINED AL JAZEERA JOURNALIST PETER GRESTE, WIDE SHOT (SOUNDBITE) (English) BROTHER OF DETAINED AL JAZEERA JOURNALIST PETER GRESTE, ANDREW GRESTE, SAYING: "I went through the security screening process and eventually got into the area where Peter was housed, that's where we first met each other, and it was a really joyful and uplifting experience actually. I wanted to make sure that I held my emotions together, I wanted to be strong for Peter." WIDE SHOT OF ANDREW GRESTE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BROTHER OF DETAINED AL JAZEERA JOURNALIST PETER GRESTE, ANDREW GRESTE, SAYING: "He's in a cell with Baher and Mohamed, so the three of them are sharing a cell together. They are allowed one hour of exercise a day, so the conditions are pretty tough. But probably I think the most difficult thing for him is the mental challenge of staying positive and focused and not allowing the conditions that he is living under to become overwhelming and depressing." Clip 3: CAIRO, EGYPT (FILE - DECEMBER 27, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CLASHES BETWEEN POLICE AND PROTESTERS SUPPORTING FORMER PRESIDENT MOHAMED MURSI AT AL AZHAR UNIVERSITY CIVILIANS SUPPORTING POLICE THROW ROCKS TOWARDS PROTESTERS SUPPORTING FORMER PRESIDENT MOHAMED MURSI Clip 4: CAIRO, EGYPT (FEBRUARY 18, 2014) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDREW GRESTE, SAYING: "He was only over Cairo for a short period of three weeks filling in for the regular Cairo correspondent so it's completely, from my point of view, unbelievable to have those accusations labelled against him. He would never become involved in anything like that that would jeopardise his journalistic credibility." CAIRO, EGYPT (RECENT - JANUARY 25, 2014) (REUTERS) POLICE NEAR THE SCENE OF CLASHES WITH PRO-MURSI PROTESTERS VARIOUS OF POLICE ARRESTING PRO-MURSI PROTESTERS POLICE VEHICLE AND POLICE OFFICER NEAR THE SCENE OF CLASHES DOHA, QATAR (RECENT - FEBRUARY 09, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF AL JAZEERA OFFICE VARIOUS OF NEWSROOM VARIOUS OF POSTER OF ARRESTED JOURNALISTS Details Three journalists working for Qatar-based Al Jazeera network are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday (February 20) for allegedly assisting a "terrorist organization". The charges implied the three Al Jazeera employees - correspondent Peter Greste and producers Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed - had unlawful contact with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egyptian authorities have banned and sought to crush since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July after mass protests against his rule. Al Jazeera has described the allegations against Australian Greste, Canadian-Egyptian national Fahmy and Egyptian citizen Mohamed - who were detained in their Cairo hotel on December 29 - as "absurd, baseless and false". Egypt's public prosecutor said last month he would put an Australian, two Britons and a Dutch woman on trial for aiding 16 Egyptians belonging to a "terrorist organization", referring to all as Al Jazeera correspondents. The network told Reuters it had no Dutch or British correspondents in Egypt. Australian Peter Greste's brother was in Cairo to support his brother ahead of the court appearance. He said that it was a relief to finally see his brother, who was arrested in late December. "I went through the security screening process and eventually got into the area where Peter was housed, that's where we first met each other, and it was a really joyful and uplifting experience actually," Andrew Greste said. "I wanted to make sure that I held my emotions together, I wanted to be strong for Peter." He said that his brother was making an effort to remain resilient, despite hard conditions in prison. "He's in a cell with Baher and Mohamed, so the three of them are sharing a cell together. They are allowed one hour of exercise a day, so the conditions are pretty tough," he continued. "But probably I think the most difficult thing for him is the mental challenge of staying positive and focused and not allowing the conditions that he is living under to become overwhelming and depressing." The Al Jazeera network is perceived by the Egyptian government to support the Muslim Brotherhood, which the country's Cabinet designated a terrorist organisation in December. No evidence has been produced to support the designation. While there were strains between Qatar and Egypt over the Muslim Brotherhood, the three journalists' situation had more to do with freedom of the press according to some organisations. In London, members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) gathered outside the Egyptian embassy in London to protest what they say is Egypt silencing journalists and preventing them from doing their job. Andrew Greste said his brother had only recently arrived in the country, and maintained high journalistic standards. "He was only over Cairo for a short period of three weeks filling in for the regular Cairo correspondent so it's completely, from my point of view, unbelievable to have those accusations labelled against him," he said. "He would never become involved in anything like that that would jeopardise his journalistic credibility." The public prosecutor said the accused had published "lies" that harmed the national interest and supplied money, equipment and information to the 16 Egyptians. Al Jazeera's Cairo offices have been closed since July 3 when security forces raided them hours after the army ousted Mursi following mass protests against his rule.
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