Egypt releases Al Jazeera journalists
An Egyptian judge has ordered the release of Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed on Thursday. Fahmy must pay a $33,000 bail pending the pair's retrail, and Mohamed was released without bail.
The journalists were originally arrested in December 2013 and sentenced to seven years in jail for spreading false news to support the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group. Fahmy and Mohamed were imprisoned in June, along with fellow Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste, who was deported on Feb. 1. The journalists have denied that they were working with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Fahmy has given up his dual Egyptian citizenship so that he could qualify for deportation to Canada. Mohamed, however, doesn't have a foreign passport.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Bail is a small step in the right direction and allows Baher and Mohamed to spend time with their families after 411 days apart," an Al Jazeera spokesperson said in a statement. "The focus, though, is still on the court reaching the correct verdict at the next hearing by dismissing this absurd case and releasing both these fine journalists unconditionally."
The journalists' next hearing will be held on Feb. 23.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
4 often overlooked home maintenance tasks that could cost you laterThe Explainer A little upkeep now can save you money down the road
-
What are the pros and cons of a Roth conversion for retirement?Pros and Cons By converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, retirees can skip paying taxes on their withdrawals
-
4 easy tips to avoid bank feesThe Explainer A few dollars here and there might seem insignificant, but it all adds up
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
