Al Jazeera Journalists Sentenced to 7 years in Gaol Whilst the West Looks on Impotently

[Exarch]

Egypt's come a long way from the halcyon days of Mubarak and the Brotherhood, that's for sure

Al-Jazeera journalists jailed for seven years in Egypt

Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed of Al-Jazeera English sentenced on terrorism-related charges

Egypt's judiciary has dealt a shocking blow to the principle of free speech after three journalists for Al-Jazeera English were sentenced to between seven and 10 years in jail on charges of aiding terrorists and endangering national security.
The former BBC correspondent Peter Greste, from Australia, the ex-CNN journalist Mohamed Fahmy, and local producer Baher Mohamed were jailed for seven, seven and 10 years respectively. Four students and activists indicted in the case were sentenced to seven years.
The judge also handed 10-year sentences to the British journalists Sue Turton and Dominic Kane and the Dutch journalist Rena Netjes, who were not in Egypt but were tried in absentia.
The courtroom packed with journalists, diplomats and relatives erupted at the verdict which came despite what independent observers said was a complete lack of evidence.
Shouting from the defendants' cage as he was led away, Fahmy, a Canadian-Egyptian citizen, said: "They'll pay for this." Greste's reaction could not be heard, but the faces of his two younger brothers – both present in court – were grim.
"I'm just stunned," said Andrew Greste, as reporters were pushed from the courtroom. "It's difficult to comprehend how they can have reached this decision."
Fahmy's mother and fiancée both broke down in tears, while his brother Adel, who travelled from his home in Kuwait for the verdict, reacted with fury.
"This is not a system," he said. "This is not a country. They've ruined our lives. It shows everything that's wrong with the system: it's corrupt. This country is corrupt through and through."
Diplomats and rights campaigners who have observed the trial expressed incredulity at the verdict. "On the basis of the evidence that we've seen, we can't understand the verdict," said Larry King, the Australian ambassador in Cairo. "We will make our feelings clear to the Egyptian government and we will continue to provide all possible consular assistance."
Evidence provided by the prosecution included footage from channels and events with nothing to do with Egyptian politics or al-Jazeera. It includedvideos of trotting horses from Sky News Arabia, a song by the Australian singer Gotye, and a BBC documentary from Somalia.
Mohamed Lotfy, executive director of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms who has observed every session of the trial for Amnesty, said the verdict sent a chilling message to all opposition figures in Egypt.
"It's a warning to all journalists that they could one day face a similar trial and conviction simply for carrying out their official duties," Lotfy said. "This feeds into a wider picture of a politicised judiciary and the use of trials to crack down on all opposition voices."
The verdict came a day after the US secretary of state, John Kerry,signalled that ties between America and Egypt were inching closer to normality.
After a 90-minute meeting with Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the former general who was elected president last month, Kerry told reporters that a delivery of attack helicopters – delayed by the US last year, in protest against Egyptian human rights abuses – would go ahead.
"The Apaches will come, and they'll come very, very soon," Kerry said, after an earlier admission by state department officials that all but $70m (£41m) of a $650m aid package to Egypt had been released.
Kerry told reporters he had emphasised to Sisi that the government must uphold "the universal rights and freedoms of all Egyptians".
"We also discussed the essential role of a vibrant civil society, free press, rule of law and due process in a democracy," he said.
The British ambassador, James Watt, said he was disappointed with the verdict: "Freedom of expression is fundamental to any democracy".
Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said her government was shocked and appalled by the verdict. "The Australian government simply cannot understand it based on the evidence that was presented in the case," she said.
It remains unclear what recourse the defendants will now take. Shouting as he left court, Fahmy said he would not seek an appeal – perhaps hopeful of an intervention by Sisi. But Greste's youngest brother, Mike, later said an appeal was the only legal recourse left to his family.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...en-years-egypt

otherwise a few mild bleatings from the requisite politicians, there's really nothing that can be done. These journalists are going to a maximum ass rape prison in the middle east for the next 7 years, having already served 6 months.

[Roma_Victrix]

See, this is why I'd never even bother traveling to a country like Egypt, because there is no rule of "law" and you certainly won't get a fair trial. This was a big show trial to display to everyone that the new guy in charge isn't going to tolerate any mockery or monkey business. They even had the Daily Show with Jon Stewart-style comedy show El-Bernameg, hosted by Bassem Youssef, canceled on grounds that it disturbed the public order and all that BS. There are times when I take for granted that I'm an American, but things like this sure make one appreciate their own freedom of speech much more.

Al-Jazeera has already been hammering Egypt over this day in and day out. I can only imagine the response they'll get from Al-Jazeera now. What a sham the Egyptian government has become (or rather, always has been).

[Raubritter]

Good!

Journalism can not be allowed to used as a cover for subversion.

[hellheaven1987]

On other news, Qatar is the chief supporter of ISIS.

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[Exarch]

i fully expect our allies, the United States to do something about this.

After all, this is why we chose the US as allies; this is why we send our troops to fight and die in backwater s, this is why we allow the US intel agencies to use our embassies and territories.
What's the point of allying with a powerful entity if they can't do for you after all the you've done for them? quid pro quo, motherer

[hellheaven1987]

this is why we chose the US as allies

I thought Australia chose US because Your Majesty already said she cannot save you guys from the Muslim hordes on the north.

[Exarch]

I thought Australia chose US because Your Majesty already said she cannot save you guys from the Muslim hordes on the north.

well maybe back 50 yrs ago

today, ppl like Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott consciously aim for a US-Aus alliance to the point where our defence and intell services are slaved to the US one.
What i'm asking for, is wtf are we getting out of it?
This episode in Cairo will be that litmus test

[Simon Cashmere]

I thought Australia chose US because Your Majesty already said she cannot save you guys from the Muslim hordes on the north.

Is this some parallel universe you've stepped out from, and if so, I hope you can find your way back.

We can protect ourselves from the 'muslim hoards'. Indonesia and Malaysia combined couldn't even come close to being any sort of threat militarily to Australia. And if they were dumb enough to try they would suffer enormous casualties and be humiliated.

I've really got no problem with Australia, though they seem to be slipping to the dark side.

Can you explain? I'm not saying I don't have a similar view - but you may have diffferent reasons for holding it now.

Australia was a wonderful place to live in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. Massive decline from then. My old man at 25 owned his own home, had a boat, two cars in the drive, wife who stayed at home didnt have to work - we even had a holiday house, and he just had his own business in a quiet part of the country.

We have high income tax. We have capital gains tax so you are charged the top income tax rate on any 'gains' you make from anything, sell shares. Of course the tax man doesn't split your losses with you, only your profit. We also have fringe benefit tax, a Keating invention, so that everything that your employer provides you with at work that might be considered a 'benefit' a tax is placed on it at the top income tax rate. You are also billed for taxes every quarter by the Australian Taxation Office, which is just whatever you earned last year, indexed upwards with an 'industry code' and billed to you every 3 months, whether you have earned that money or not.

So whilst small business and people are ground down by the revenue authorities, people not subject to such onerous taxation, say, Chinese from Hong Kong, who have an income tax rate of 15% tops, no fringe benefits tax, and no capital gains tax, come to Australia and buy up all the best properties. My brother sold 4 apartments in Randwick recently - a suburb of Sydney. All ranged in price from $900,000 to $1.2 million. All the buyers were chinese. No view. Not in a good street. Not near the beach. So for a million bucks in parts of Sydney you get a two bedroom apartment.

Regular people cannot afford to buy a property in Sydney, it is not possible for them to save fast enough to do it. And yet there is this delusional belief from the chardonnay socialists that people just need to 'save more and be careful with their money. Wtf? No matter how careful you are with your money, most people will never be able to save a million bucks. They won't live long enough.

So I have to ask myself - what's my skin in the game? Do I care about this place at all anymore? If the Chinese were invading would I try to defend it? Probably not. I'd respond to any request for conscription - with a short handwritten note as I head for the hills 'I'm sorry but I won't be able to defend you against the Chinese. But I understand you have a government department that knows everything, the Australian Taxation Office - and you should seek their advice as to how to defend against the Chinese and I'm sure you will be fine.'

So many stories about bastardization by the Australian Taxation Office - nearly everyone has one. Believe it or not, they are worse than the IRS.

As for Geste - the usual dealings with Egypt and Lebanon and places around there is that they will give us anyone we want, its just a matter of price. I expect the price is being negotiated now.

There are wonderful people here, a lot of good people. But I do not like the way the country has gone and is going. The hard right of the Liberal Party is better than the socialist policies of Labor, but even it has its moments of stupidity.

[Monoloco]

Is this some parallel universe you've stepped out from, and if so, I hope you can find your way back.

We can protect ourselves from the 'muslim hoards'. Indonesia and Malaysia combined couldn't even come close to being any sort of threat militarily to Australia. And if they were dumb enough to try they would suffer enormous casualties and be humiliated.



Can you explain? I'm not saying I don't have a similar view - but you may have diffferent reasons for holding it now.

Australia was a wonderful place to live in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s. Massive decline from then. My old man at 25 owned his own home, had a boat, two cars in the drive, wife who stayed at home didnt have to work - we even had a holiday house, and he just had his own business in a quiet part of the country.

We have high income tax. We have capital gains tax so you are charged the top income tax rate on any 'gains' you make from anything, sell shares. Of course the tax man doesn't split your losses with you, only your profit. We also have fringe benefit tax, a Keating invention, so that everything that your employer provides you with at work that might be considered a 'benefit' a tax is placed on it at the top income tax rate. You are also billed for taxes every quarter by the Australian Taxation Office, which is just whatever you earned last year, indexed upwards with an 'industry code' and billed to you every 3 months, whether you have earned that money or not.

So whilst small business and people are ground down by the revenue authorities, people not subject to such onerous taxation, say, Chinese from Hong Kong, who have an income tax rate of 15% tops, no fringe benefits tax, and no capital gains tax, come to Australia and buy up all the best properties. My brother sold 4 apartments in Randwick recently - a suburb of Sydney. All ranged in price from $900,000 to $1.2 million. All the buyers were chinese. No view. Not in a good street. Not near the beach. So for a million bucks in parts of Sydney you get a two bedroom apartment.

Regular people cannot afford to buy a property in Sydney, it is not possible for them to save fast enough to do it. And yet there is this delusional belief from the chardonnay socialists that people just need to 'save more and be careful with their money. Wtf? No matter how careful you are with your money, most people will never be able to save a million bucks. They won't live long enough.

So I have to ask myself - what's my skin in the game? Do I care about this place at all anymore? If the Chinese were invading would I try to defend it? Probably not. I'd respond to any request for conscription - with a short handwritten note as I head for the hills 'I'm sorry but I won't be able to defend you against the Chinese. But I understand you have a government department that knows everything, the Australian Taxation Office - and you should seek their advice as to how to defend against the Chinese and I'm sure you will be fine.'

So many stories about bastardization by the Australian Taxation Office - nearly everyone has one. Believe it or not, they are worse than the IRS.

As for Geste - the usual dealings with Egypt and Lebanon and places around there is that they will give us anyone we want, its just a matter of price. I expect the price is being negotiated now.

There are wonderful people here, a lot of good people. But I do not like the way the country has gone and is going. The hard right of the Liberal Party is better than the socialist policies of Labor, but even it has its moments of stupidity.

Omitting your fairytale claims of the golden age 1950s now are we?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCWjRHr6WAs - Howard and Costello the 2 biggest wet paper bags to ever hold office.

"Work Choices is just a nasty, piece of legislation to knock off the income of the low paid" - Former PM of Australia Paul Keating.

I have already posted as well why Australia outside the ivory towers of the inner cities was actually third world and the countries economy was stalled.

http://www.whitlam.org/gough_whitlam/Western_Sydney

The Cultural Cringe is strong with this one. Let me know the next time Howard ( who could not even get a job in cricket) or Costello (Who is only head of the Bendigo Bank because he owns it) are ever head hunted for their economic expertise for the Bank of Deutschland or as advisor to the US Federal Reserve like Keating was.


Reference in comparison to a modern issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXTljU0Lzw8 Former PM Keating
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yij...otation_699709 Part 2


Current PM Tony Abbott in all his inept stupidity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12PN66IBoPs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYO3TjmczCQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckcH0Wrmy74
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtcgr8rM614

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L66KhP0jYg - Former PM and Liberal Party leader, who grew a conscience and it telling it how it is. So yes, Australia is falling at the latest hurdle and will continue to decline. We will feel this for generations to come, as currently no one in Labor has Keatings vast economic skill and knowledge nor the backbone of Hawke to act first in the best interests of Australia and her people, and will continue to be dominated by the far right whose sole existence is for the purpose of serving the richest 5% and anyone who lobbies them hard enough. As we saw with the idiotic comments about East Jerusalem after years of lobbying by the Israeli fronts and political groups here. It is the Liberal party who blocks a national level independent board against corruption, who constantly attempt to raise the limits allowed to be donated to political parties, and establish US style corporate lobbying.

Where is the backbone of our PM in regards to Egypt?

[Adar]

i fully expect our allies, the United States to do something about this.

After all, this is why we chose the US as allies; this is why we send our troops to fight and die in backwater s, this is why we allow the US intel agencies to use our embassies and territories.
What's the point of allying with a powerful entity if they can't do for you after all the you've done for them? quid pro quo, motherer

So now you consider the US to be your ally?

Because my impression of your political stance is that you are not a big fan of USA, depict events negative to USA as exciting, consider distrust between the EU and USA as positive and respond with gleeful happiness when Putin maintains or extends his sphere of influence.

The jailing of journalists in Europe is a problem and I hope that the West respond in an appropriate manner. But at least cut the and get your story straight regarding your own personal beliefs.

[Exarch]

So now you consider the US to be your ally?

Because my impression of your political stance is that you are not a big fan of USA, depict events negative to USA as exciting, consider distrust between the EU and USA as positive and respond with gleeful happiness when Putin maintains or extends his sphere of influence.

The jailing of journalists in Europe is a problem and I hope that the West respond in an appropriate manner. But at least cut the and get your story straight regarding your own personal beliefs.

that's exactly my ing point;

what's the US going to do in this case?

diddly , and yet this isn't the first time our nominal ally, the great and powerful US has left us out to dry, even whilst using our resources, our blood, our ing treasure has gone into US ventures and invasions and little plays at being Metternicht for some neocon in Washington.

Don't believe me? just watch, the US aint going to do , our politicians are worthless, they couldn't even help out our own citizens in Dubai who got convicted for being victims of rape.

[Raubritter]

i fully expect our allies, the United States to do something about this.

Yeah, provide some ropes please.

[DarthLazy]

Why exactly is this a problem for a country on the other side of the world, a country you say is not supposed to be policing stuff?

[Raubritter]

diddly , and yet this isn't the first time our nominal ally, the great and powerful US has left us out to dry, even whilst using our resources, our blood, our ing treasure has gone into US ventures and invasions and little plays at being Metternicht for some neocon in Washington.

Oh cry me a river....
Last time i checked they payed for it, mostly they overpaid.
I would just cluster bomb the Oil Sheiks and take the oil and wouldn't enable them to drive high class cars and all that.

[Raubritter]

Okay i try to recall some case with Al Jazeera from my memory here.



So Al Jazeera showed day in and out these Bakery Bombings or "breadline bombings" a few years ago and back then i was highly suspicous of that, because i know the bosnian Rebels staged such bombings in Sarajevo 1992 at least two times. Dschihad is deception in every sense. So, on this video you can see footage of such a bakery bombing where men in camouflage uniforms with guns are all over the place but Al Jazeera tries to tell the story of bombing civilians waiting for bread. In Sarajevo first they announced to the civilians, that a ceasefire will accure and that there will be a distrebution of bread on the Market. As soon enough people gathered around, they fired a grenade into the place and blamed the Serbs. In the case of Syria they don't even bother anymore making up false claims to lure civilians and just drop bread on the floor where ever something did go boom.

Al Jazeera same as Russia Today or Press TV ain't News or "the other perspective", its basicly information warfare.

PS: Click here for the Video if the link above isn't working.

[Condottiere 40K]

The current regime is too heavy handed, unless they believe their proletariat is too easily influenced by the media, and they want the fourth estate to toe the line.

[sumskilz]

Al Jazeera Journalists Sentenced to 7 years in Gaol Whilst the West Looks on Impotently Indifferently

[Gatsby]

Good, freeing people and enforcing social liberties is just Western cultural imperialism from stupid world policeman USA anyways.

Oh wait, the victims from my country?

Y U NO INTERVENE USA?

[Exarch]

if anything this really showcases the decline of American power; when Egypt can take money from the US and ignore John Kerry or Obama and do whatever the hell it wants without repurcussions...like gaoling a Western journalist for 7 ing years and not bat an eyelid.

If that aint a loss in power, i don't know what is.

EDIT:
also, another point that's a major embarassment for the US is that all of this occurred straight after the US released $575mln in military aid to the Junta in Cairo.
Man, it's like you giving me money and then i go round and your wife.

[sumskilz]

if anything this really showcases the decline of American power; when Egypt can take money from the US and ignore John Kerry or Obama and do whatever the hell it wants without repurcussions...like gaoling a Western journalist for 7 ing years and not bat an eyelid.

If that aint a loss in power, i don't know what is.

EDIT:
also, another point that's a major embarassment for the US is that all of this occurred straight after the US released $575mln in military aid to the Junta in Cairo.
Man, it's like you giving me money and then i go round and your wife.

It seems more a reflection of the reputation of the administration than a reflection of US power, because the issue is sort of "Oh you don't like this? What are you gonna do about it?"