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Updated 19.15pm
EGYPT HAS DEPORTED Al-Jazeera reporter Peter Greste to his native Australia on today after holding him for more than 400 days despite global condemnation.
The Al-Jazeera English reporter was arrested in Cairo in December 2013.
Flight home
Greste departed on a flight to Larnaca, Cyprus soon after his release from Cairo’s Tora prison, interior ministry and airport officials told AFP.
The Al-Jazeera English reporter was detained along with two colleagues, Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and an Egyptian producer, Baher Mohamed, in December 2013 and charged with aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood movement.
The Qatar-based channel welcomed Egypt’s decision and expressed hope that its other two journalists would be released.
Canada said today it remained “very hopeful” that a Canadian-Egyptian Al-Jazeera reporter jailed by Egypt would be released soon, following the freeing of his Australian colleague.
Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said the Canadian government was working closely with Egypt to secure the freedom of Mohamed Fahmy.
“We’re pleased for Peter and his family that they are to be reunited,” Mostefa Souag, acting director general of Al-Jazeera Media Network, said in a statement for the pan-Arab television network.
“We will not rest until Baher and Mohamed also regain their freedom,” he said.
Fahmy’s relatives also expect him to be deported under a decree passed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that allows for the transfer of foreigners on trial. But it was not immediately clear when he would be released.
The arrest of the three reporters set off a global outcry, with Washington and the United Nations leading calls for their release.
International pressure
Australia and Canada have piled pressure on Egypt to release the two and Sisi had repeatedly said he regretted they had not been deported soon after their arrest.
Their high-profile trial, in which Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison and Mohamed to 10, proved a public relations nightmare for Sisi, who has cracked down on Islamists since toppling president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.
The verdict was overturned and a court in January ordered a retrial for the three journalists.
“There is a presidential decision to deport Peter Greste to Australia,” an interior ministry official told AFP today, minutes before Greste departed from Cairo airport.
Greste and Fahmy are eligible for deportation under a recent law that stipulates their trial in their home countries.
There is no prospect that Greste or Fahmy would face trials in their home countries and Sisi’s decree appears to have been formulated in a way that allows Egypt’s authorities to save face.
Imprisonment
Rights group Amnesty International said Greste’s release should not overshadow the ongoing imprisonment of Fahmy and Mohamed.
The two “must not be forgotten as their colleague Peter Greste is deported from Egypt,” the group said in a statement.
Police had arrested the journalists at the peak of a diplomatic row between Cairo and Qatar, which owns Al-Jazeera.
The broadcaster had been critical of the deadly crackdown on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood movement following the Islamist leader’s overthrow.
Qatar has since moved to mend ties with Egypt and Al-Jazeera shut down its Arabic-language Egyptian affiliate channel, which supported the Brotherhood.
Don’t think there’ll be much wailing or gnashing of teeth at their departure to cash in those juicy lotto style pensions
@Kevvy kerrr: stop being jealous and begrudging.
@Kevvy kerrr: ‘lotto style’. Same rules as any other public servant.
Adious and do continue the extravagant lifestyle courtesy of the tax-payers. ..
@Michale Kane: well deserved:)
Half of Fine Gael TDs afraid to go before the Irish people again but the government controlled media trying to tell us its Sinn Fein that are in crisis!!
@Kevin O Brien: they told 3 councillors in Kerry they couldn’t run, and parachuted another man who has never had any involvement in politics in as the sole candidate.
The original candidate for Fine gael is currently awaiting sentence for importing irelands largest ever consignment of crystal meth!
Running for the hills before the excrement hits the fan. Knowing full well that the weasels are in for a trouncing come election day.
@Marvin Dollery: no just retiring, perfectly normal :)
@Marvin Dollery: Well, you know they are not really in for a trouncing at all, FG & FF may well end up with 45–47% of the vote,– way ahead of SF , so we will have them back with support of some Independents .
Has our President congratulated Donald Trump yet. Or does 300 thousand jobs and billions in Tax not matter?
The journal trolls are doing a wonderful job in persuading readers to vote Sinn Féin. Keep up the good work John A Doe, John B Doe, John C Doe, John D Doe and all the other John Doe’s.
@Anthony Curran: Wouldn’t be getting my hopes up if I was you Anthony. Not a snowball’s chance in hell Mary Lou will be part of the next government. You’re in for Double disappointment this month on elections.
@Anthony Curran: you vermin are in for one hell of a beating this election :)
@J B: go raibh maith agat Kim jong un
@Paul M Doe: I do love blocking you clõwns. It’s therapeutic :)
fill in the blanks …..
shower of C_ _ _ Z
@Stiles: z..?
@Ciaran: S.
Bye bye please let every door door hit you on the way out.
Amazing how they all talk about work they wanted to get done and couldnt, I wonder how many on reflection could name one positive thing they have acheived? When the politicians come knocking on my door asking for votes I will have one question for them, what have you done to help me or benefit me, cant see my local doctor when I need to, waiting hours in hospital when you have to go in. Cant get my child enrolled in nearest school to me bevause it is full. FFG are esentially buying this election with hand outs.
Not a supporter ,,,but after all that time you given to the Dail you do deserve thanks enjoy retirement James
Thanks
The legacy of most of them, is that they fulfilled their own self interest, failed the people & while those with a conscience (minority) will have regrets, it will all be undone when they retire, gaining that massive Lump sum & pension, amongst the highest in World politics. Irish politics has failed, no more leaders of the calibre of Sean Lemass or Noel Browne to mention two, now we have PR Spin Merchants who have no problem shamelessly lying on air & have used this State to further their own political ambitions. They even have populated social media as we see here daily with “people” like Brendan, Kevin, Paul paid to control the narrative for them.
Congratulations to the wonderful FG patriots who served with honour. Enjoy your well deserved retirement :)
You know they are far from perfect neither am I but aren’t we all lucky that we were born in a reasonably safe part of the world.
Off they trot after a career with their noses in the trough. Leaving their stink behind after sh!tting all over us.
Don’t let your heavy pension hit you on the way out
JB I agree
@Dan Murphy: I don’t.
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