Credible television network, Al Jazeera, has slammed the continued delay in the trial of two of its journalists in Egypt.
The trial of Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed was again delayed on Sunday, with the court postponing the trial.
The court decision came after a brief hearing on Sunday. It set the date for the next trial to March 19.
Their first hearing on February 23 was also postponed – also because witnesses did not show up in court.
Fahmy and Mohamed were charged with aiding the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt deems a terrorist organisation.
Emerging from the court on Sunday, the two journalists expressed frustration at the delay of their trial.
“We come here and we respect the court,” Fahmy said. “But it’s very unusual that witnesses don’t come twice in a row, and I see it as an insult to the judiciary here. It’s really a legal limbo and we’re caught in it.”
Reacting to the latest adjournment in the case of its jailed journalists, an Al Jazeera spokesman said “the world continues to expect the release” of Fahmy and Mohamed.
“We’ve previously urged that the retrial process be swift, and wasted opportunities like today and the last hearing do not help towards that end.
“This case must now come to an end with Baher and Mohamed being fully exonerated and reunited with their families. Journalism is not a crime.”
A court last month released Fahmy, a naturalised Canadian who gave up his Egyptian citizenship, and Egyptian Mohamed, on bail after over 400 days in detention.
They were also ordered to check with the police daily.
A third Al Jazeera journalist, Australian Peter Greste, was deported earlier in February.
Reacting to the latest adjournment in the case of its jailed journalists in Egypt, Al Jazeera spokesperson Osama Saeed said: “For the second successive court date, there was no substantive hearing because eight prosecution witnesses did not turn up. We’ve previously urged that the retrial process be swift, and wasted opportunities like today and the last hearing do not help towards that end.
“The world continues to expect the release of Baher and Mohamed. The recent award from the prestigious Royal Television Society for our journalists is another example of the global support that exists for their freedom.
“Peter’s release, bail for Baher and Mohamed, and the throwing out of the original verdict is all progress. However, this case must now come to an end, with Baher and Mohamed being fully exonerated and reunited with their families. Journalism is not a crime.”
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