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Family of Australian journalist detained in Egypt speak out

June 5, 2014
Detained Al-Jazeera journalists appear in court in June before being sentenced to prison Credit: Amir Makar

Today, most Egyptians are concerned about the future. Will people go back to work? Will financial backing from Gulf countries bolster Egypt’s economy? Will the country come out of the worse financial slowdown it has seen in two decades? The country grapples with other topics too: closing Egypt’s borders, women’s rights, the persecution of Coptic Christians, and a plethora of other issues. Yet, in all of this, there is another story which does not play out in Tahrir Square or Cairo’s streets. Move away from the hustle and bustle and into the hallways of Torah prison, a maximum security holding facility on the outskirts of Giza. There, in a 3m by 4m cell, with a single bed, a double bunk and one toilet, three men sit for twenty-three hours a day. Mohamed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste have been in custody now for more than 150 days. The men have been accused of doctoring footage, aiding terrorism and conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood to damage the country’s reputation. “They have set aside part of the floor for recreation — to walk, exercise or play games. The cell has a…


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