WATCH: US Secretary of State John Kerry is very concerned about the sentence he calls “chilling and draconian”
BAGHDAD – U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says that the sentencing of three Al-Jazeera journalists in Cairo to 7-to 10-year prison terms is chilling. He says he is voicing his concern to Egypt’s foreign minister.
READ MORE: Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy gets 7 years in prison
Kerry says the verdict flies in the face of the essential ingredients of a civil society and free press. He urged Egypt to move quickly to address international concerns.
READ MORE: Is dual citizenship keeping Canadian journalist in Egyptian jail?
ABOVE: An Egyptian court on Monday convicted three journalists from Al-Jazeera English, including an Egyptian-Canadian, and sentenced them to seven years in prison each on terrorism-related charges. Mohamed Fahmy had to be pulled away from the cage inside the courtroom after his sentencing.
The verdicts on terrorism charges against the three – Australian Peter Greste, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohammed – come after a five-month trial that Amnesty International describe as a “sham.” The three contend they were prosecuted for doing their jobs as journalists.
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