WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
National Press Club president out strongly against an Egyptian
court's sentencing on Saturday of three Al-Jazeera English
reporters.
The court sentenced Peter Greste, Baher
Mohammed and Mohammed Fahmy
to three years in prison on charges that independent experts say
are trumped up, including spreading "false news."
The three men were first detained in 2013. Greste was
subsequently deported to Australia, while Mohammed and Fahmy were
released on bail.
''The National Press Club is saddened and outraged by this
verdict," said National Press Club President John Hughes. "We had hoped that Egypt was prepared to move on from attacking
these journalists. Instead the message is loud and clear: in
Egypt reporters are not free to do
their jobs. That is tragic for a profession so vital to free speech
and human rights."
At least 22 journalists are behind bars in Egypt, according to the Committee to Protect
Journalists.
Established in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's
leading professional organization for journalists. Through its
Freedom of the Press Committee, the Club advocates for journalists
under siege abroad and at home.
Contact: John M. Donnelly, NPC
Press Freedom Committee chairman: jdonnelly@cq.com or 202 746
6020.
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SOURCE National Press Club