In June 2014, Canadian-Egyptian journalist Mohamed Fahmy was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, which he is currently appealing, on charges of aiding the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, broadcasting false news and operating without an equipment and operational license. He is now suing Al Jazeera in a Canadian court for $100 million for negligence, misrepresentation and breach of contract. In an exclusive letter to Egyptian Streets, Fahmy explains his decision to take legal action against his employer. Don’t forget to check out Egyptian Streets’ exclusive interview with Fahmy by clicking here. To Start Off My legal case is against my employer, Al Jazeera Media Network. The Network – which is chaired by Sheikh Thamer Bin Hamad Al Thani, cousin of Qatar’s Emir – owns and operates AJ Arabic, AJ English (“AJE”) and many other channels. At the time of my arrest in December 2013, the Network was also illegally operating an Egyptian anti-government propaganda channel called Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr (AJMM), which it eventually shut down under international pressure in December 2014. AJE had — and in some circles still has — a strong reputation for journalistic independence and integrity. I relied…
