December 29th marks one year since Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were arrested in Cairo. Journalists and friends around the world will come together to show their solidarity with the three men on that day. Newsrooms across the world will stop work at 1200 Egypt-time to pause and reflect on the year’s events.
Al Jazeera English will start its coverage of this tragic milestone by examining the changes this year in press freedom around the world on December 28th. Meanwhile on December 29th, they’ll take a look at the events of the last 365 days in Egypt, from the arrest of Peter, Baher, and Mohamed to their conviction and the lengthy wait for the next legal development.
A few days later, on January 1st, Egypt’s court of cassation will rule on whether a full appeal can heard. The court will look at the process behind the original trial, a process that many observers have stated was flawed, and which has caused outrage around the world.
Calls for the release of Al Jazeera staff have been made by the White House, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the European Union, the Australian Government and over 150 rights groups, including Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Press Institute.
Over 200,000 people have signed petitions globally, including two petitions signed by 150,000 people presented to the Egyptian Vice Counsel in Sydney by Australia’s leading journalists.
Similarly public calls of support for the release of the journalists has occurred throughout the social media campaign #FreeAJStaff, with over 137,000 people who have shared their support on Twitter, reaching 112 million people, and delivering over 2 billion impressions.
Anyone can show their solidarity on the anniversary and throughout the court proceedings by using the hashtag #FreeAJStaff
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