2 Al-Jazeera journalists freed from Egyptian prison

Associated Press

CAIRO

Two Al-Jazeera journalists walked free from an Egyptian prison Friday 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.

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 initially was 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 $33,000 bail Friday.