“I will continue fighting for press freedom...”

September 23, 2015 5:59 PM

Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been released from prison following Eid al-Adha pardon. [New York Times]

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi pardoned two imprisoned journalists from the Al Jazeera English news network on Wednesday, as well as dozens of other political prisoners, effectively voiding a raft of widely criticized convictions handed down by Egypt’s courts. The pardoning of the journalists, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, and of prominent leftist activists arrested at protests, provided their families with a measure of relief and stanched a source of international criticism of Mr. Sisi’s government a day before he was scheduled to fly to New York for a United Nations General Assembly gathering.

Journalists Speak After Release in Egypt [Times Video]

“I am free! This time for real! Cops dropped me at CAC my old high school in my prison garb. Party Time!” #FreeAJStaff— Mohamed Fadel Fahmy (@MFFahmy11) September 23, 2015

Reminder that as well as Baher and Fahmy, there are 7 other AJ journos convicted in absentia whose lives have been affected #FreeAJStaff— Osama Saeed (@OsamaSaeed) September 23, 2015

Related:
- Egypt's Sisi pardons 100 prisoners, including Jazeera journalists. [Reuters]
- Mohamed Fahmy: 10 Key Twists in his Legal Nightmare [The Globe and Mail]
- What awaits Mohamed Fahmy upon his return to Canada. [The Globe and Mail]
- ‘I was scared for his health from too much joy,’ Mohamed Fahmy’s wife says after his prison release. [National Post]

Previously.

posted by Fizz (8 comments total)

What a nightmare for everyone. I hope everything settles down for him now. I think he needs shoulder surgery for an injury he received at the time of his arrest oh so long ago. What other damage does he bring back with him? Peace to you sir.
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 6:27 PM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

Who else but a fake president could pardon them for phony convictions?
posted by 1adam12 at 7:06 PM on September 23, 2015 [5 favorites]

Peter Greste was appearing on The Chaser's Media Circus when he was given the news.

https://www.facebook.com/thechaser/videos/10153012072631230/
posted by goshling at 7:13 PM on September 23, 2015 [7 favorites]

The birds are free of the cage!
posted by oceanjesse at 7:39 PM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

Excellent news.
Goshling, I came in here to post that link - it's an amazing piece of footage.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 8:20 PM on September 23, 2015 [2 favorites]

Good, now he won't have to face the new Saudi ambassador in charge of the UN Human Rights Panel with a black mark on his record.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:51 PM on September 23, 2015 [1 favorite]

une_heure_pleine, it's just great, isn't it Wasn't able to watch it on telly, but I am so looking forward to seeing the full episode on view.
This was the first thing I saw on the internets this morning, & it made me very happy. Then I read about 3 separate pieces about suicide & depression. *sigh*
posted by goshling at 7:34 AM on September 24, 2015

There are some rumours of this being linked to the Egyptian purchase of the French Mistral carriers and the Saudi financing of said purchase.
posted by rosswald at 8:00 AM on September 24, 2015