Honest, ethical: Colleagues describe Al-Jazeera journalists convicted in Egypt

A day after Qatar-based network Al-Jazeera’s journalists were sentenced to seven to 10 years in prison, the web erupted in protest, demanding that they be freed. Condemning the unfair trial, the network brought former colleagues of - Peter Greste, Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy, the three jailed journalists - to talk about their experiences working with them in conflict zones like Egypt.

“One of the most amazing things about him was despite the fact he was Egyptian and we were covering tumultuous events on the streets of his capital of his country, I never really knew what he felt about what was happening,” Al Jazeera’s correspondent Simon McGregor-Wood said about working with Baher Mohamed.

Baher Mohamed, who was sentenced to 10 years, was given an extra three years for possessing a single bullet, at the hearing attended by Western diplomats, some of whose governments summoned Egypt’s ambassadors over the case. The three were convicted yesterday for allegedly aiding the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood which has been dubbed a “terrorist organisation” by the Egyptian government.

The three scribes had been kept in detention since late December and were accused of broadcasting lies that harmed national security and supplying money, equipment and information to a group of Egyptians– an accusation the network and journalists have vehemently denied.

Robyn Kriel, the East Africa bureau chief for South Africa’s eNews Channel Africa praised Greste, an Australian journalist and a Peabody award winner, for his integrity and professionalism.

“Peter Greste doesn’t deserve this,” she said. “He has been nothing but be an unbelievable reporter and put his life on the line several times to get stories to people who need to hear them.”

Old colleagues echoed similar sentiments about Mohamed Fahmy. PBS network’s correspondent Margaret Warner recounted an incident when she was with her camera crew and Mohamed Fahmy covering protests in the streets of Egypt when a seemingly benign mob turned on them. Mohamed Fahmy, said Warner, navigated her and her crew to safety through the expanding mob which targetted him along with the crew. This was the second time she had worked with him.

“He absolutely saved our lives. I’m no legal expert, but I can tell you Mohamed Fahmy struck me on both occassions as nothing less than a professional journalist,” she said.

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