Two Al-Jazeera journalists walked free from an Egyptian prison today and were reunited with loved ones after more than a year behind bars on terror-related charges that drew international criticism from human rights and media groups.
Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed are free pending their retrial, scheduled for Feb 23. A third colleague, Peter Greste, was released two weeks ago and deported to his home country of Australia.
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, who represents Fahmy, cautioned that there is no guarantee the case will be closed or that the journalists will be acquitted.
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Fahmy holds a Canadian passport, and Clooney urged that he be deported the way Greste was. She asked that the Canadian prime minister "personally intervene" to ensure authorities hand Fahmy over to Canada under a recently approved decree that gives Egypt's president the right to deport foreigners who are either on trial or have been convicted.
"This case is not over yet, but it should be," Clooney said.
Mohammed was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison and Fahmy to seven years but Egypt's top appeals court subsequently ordered a retrial after overturning the initial ruling, citing "flawed evidence." On Thursday's first session of the retrial, the judge ordered their release for now.
Fahmy was reunited with his fiance after his brother posted USD 33,000 bail today.
"Free Sunshine at Cairo Marriott Where it all started with my better half ... Till death do us part," Fahmy said in a tweet. He and Greste were arrested at the hotel in a police raid more than a year ago.
Fahmy added in a tweet: "Lots of love to the global journalism community for supporting us. A special 'Thank you' to the foreign press family in Egypt."
Mohammed, who was released without bail, arrived home about 7 a.M., his wife, Jehane Rashed, told The Associated Press. Photos on Facebook and video on Al-Jazeera showed him hugging and playing with his children one of whom was born during his detention and wearing clothes with saying "Free Press."
"I will continue fighting for the freedom of expression, and I will not back off," he said in the video. He was freed without bail.
The three journalists, who worked for the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera's English-language channel, were arrested in December 2013 and accused of being part of a terrorist group and airing falsified footage intended to damage Egyptian national security.
