'A Dark Day for Media Freedom'

Al Jazeera calls on Egypt to release its journalists immediately

AL JAZEERA: Governments, social media users and journalists come together to condemn verdict against Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed.

Egypt has been widely condemned after finding three Al Jazeera English journalists guilty on charges of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood and reporting false news.

Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were found guilty by a Cairo court on Monday and jailed for seven years. Mohamed was jailed for three additional years for possessing ammunition.

The Netherlands and the UK said they would summon the Egyptian ambassador over the sentencing. The Dutch foreign ministry said that the "minimum requirements for a fair trial were not met".

"I am appalled by the guilty verdicts handed down today against Egyptian and international journalists in Egypt," the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, said in a statement.

"I am particularly concerned by unacceptable procedural shortcomings during the trial process, including that key prosecution evidence was not made available to the defence team."

The Canadian ambassador David Drake, who attended the session for Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian, said there were many questions over the verdict.

"We are very disappointed," he said. "We are digesting this ... We don't understand this particular verdict.'' » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Australian FM 'shocked' at Al-Jazeera Journalists' Verdict

BBC: Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, has said Australia is shocked that an Egyptian court has convicted three Al-Jazeera journalists and sentenced them to seven years in jail.

They were found guilty of spreading false news and collaborating with the Muslim Brotherhood of the deposed Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi.

The journalists include Peter Greste, an Australian and former BBC correspondent.

Ms Bishop told reporters she was shocked and ''deeply disappointed'' at the court's decision. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Shock of Al-Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste's Parents at Sentence

BBC: Three al-Jazeera journalists have been sentenced to seven years in jail in Egypt, after being found guilty of spreading false news and supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian-Egyptian who heads the network's Cairo bureau, and Australian correspondent (and former BBC reporter) Peter Greste were jailed for seven years. Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed received a 10-year sentence.

Peter Greste's parents, Lois and Juris, consented to being filmed while receiving the news. (+ BBC video) » | Monday, June 23, 2014

Egypt Finds Al Jazeera Journalists Guilty

Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy sentenced to seven years in prison, Baher Mohamed sentenced to 10

THE GUARDIAN: Al-Jazeera journalists jailed for seven years in Egypt: Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed of Al-Jazeera English sentenced on terrorism-related charges » | Patrick Kingsley in Cairo | Monday, June 23, 2014