The Egyptian President, Fattah al-Sissi, has insisted on Tuesday, against the pleas by various countries, that he would not interfere in court rulings against a group of Al Jazeera reporters jailed on terrorism charges.
Al-Sisi said in Cairo at a military graduation ceremony that it was not possible for him to interfere because the Egypt judiciary system was very independent and there must be respect for court rulings.
Meanwhile, James Harding, BBC News Director, said hundreds of BBC and Al Jazeera journalists across the world held a minute of silence on Tuesday at 0841 GMT, exactly 24 hours after the men were sentenced.
Harding said in London and Doha that BBC and Al Jazeera journalists, some with black tape over their mouth, stood outside their respective offices as they held signs reading: “Journalism is not a crime.”
Harding said the real issues at stake are on principle about the intimidation of journalists and preventing them from telling their stories.
“The BBC very rarely does something like this. We do it because there’s a point of principle at stake here,” he said.
Harding said the BBC and other British news organisations, including Sky and ITN, were also sending a letter to al-Sissi in protest about the sentences.
Also, the Committee to Protect Journalists said 14 journalists are still behind bars in Egypt out of 65 arrested since the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July.
They said between 16,000 and 41,000 people have been detained since Morsi’s overthrow and death sentences have been confirmed against more than 200 alleged Brotherhood supporters charged with involvement in violence.
dpa/NAN.
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