August 30, 2015

Egypt‘s Futile Attempt to Silence Journalists - World Coverage of #AJretrial


On Saturday, 29 August 2015, a criminal court in Cairo sentenced three journalists – Mohamed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste – to years in prison in a retrial of what has become known as the Al-Jazeera case. (With them, three young Egyptians were also sentenced, although not ever having worked for the TV-Station Al-Jazeera.)

The criticism at the now second farcial and clearly politically motivated verdict, accusing the journalists of "falsifying news" and broadcasting material that was "harmful to national security" by covering events happening in Egypt in 2013, was powerful. Human rights organisations, the world press and governments of the US, the UK, the Netherlands voiced their outrage and concern at this travesty of justice.

For the Egyptian government of President Sisi this was to be expected, seeing that nothing was done before the verdict to prevent such a development. Yet after the criticism of the verdict, Egypt today summoned the British Ambassador to express Egypt‘s rejection of "unacceptable interference". Egypt thus hopes to silence the world with its justified criticism and reporting – and fails epically.

See here just a ‘small‘ number of international media that has covered the sham trial in Cairo against the journalists – who did nothing else but their job: report the truth.

You can't silence the press, Egypt, you can't. Stop trying.


ABC - Australia

arab news - Saudi Arabia

BBC - Britain

Belfast Telegraph - Ireland



CBC - Canada

Channel 4 news - Britain

CNN - USA

Colorado Gazette - USA

Corriere della Serra - Italy

de Volkskrant - Netherlands

Deutsche Welle - Germany





Die Welt - Germany

El Mundo - Spain

El Pais - Spain

Elsevier - Netherlands

eNCA - South Africa

France24 - France

Greater Kashmir - India

Guardian - Britain

Herald Sun - Australia

KOSUA - USA

La Repubblica - Italy

La Stampa - Italy

Le Monde - France

Le Parisien - France

Le Point - France

Mashable - USA

NDTV - India

New York Times - USA

Nieuwsblad - Belgium

NRC - Netherlands

Powned - Netherlands

skyNews - Britain

Spiegel online - Germany

Sydney Morning Herald - Australia

tagesschau (TV 1) - Germany

The Indian Express - India

The Irish Times - Ireland

The Times - Britain

The Times of Israel - Israel

The Toronto Star - Canada

Wall Street Journal - USA

Yahoo news - USA

Your Middle East - Sweden

Die ZEIT - Germany


And there's lots more in print.

In trying to silence reporting by three journalists, Egypt has evoked for over 20 months now a constant reporting by hundreds of media outlets the world over. If anything has damaged the reputation of Egypt, the stubborn ruthlessness by the regime to attack a free press and individual journalists has.

A shot-in-foot story if ever there was one. And unless the regime of President Sisi finally gets this, the reporting and subsequently damaging of Egypt's reputation will continue. Worldwide. For as long as such attacks continue and definitely until the journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, criminally held in jail now, are set free and allowed to return to their families.

Not to mention the dozens of other journalists held without charges in Egypt's detention hell holes, in violation of Egyptian law and even the Egyptian constitution.

Journalism is not a crime, Mr President Sisi. – Suppressing journalism is.


August 28, 2015

On a bus, train, plane – somewhere in the United States of America


(Man reading the papers, looking up at his neighbour):

– Did you know that Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned now for 40 years for a crime he did not commit? And that he is slowly dying in jail?

(Guy next to him, bored):

– He's just a fuckin' Indian. Who cares?

– Yes, but did you hear about Samuel DuBose who got shot dead by a police officer although he was unarmed and did nothing?

– So? He was a fuckin' black guy. Where's your problem, dude?

– But what about Shaker Aamer, an innocent man who is held at Guantánamo Bay and – even according to the Bush administration – should have been released eight years ago!

– He's just a fuckin' Arab. Get a life. – What's wrong with you?

– You think all of that is ok? – Who are you?

– Me? I'm a freedom loving American. – And proud!

– Oh.