International
Egypt Releases Aljazeera Journalist After Years In Illegal Detention
Mahmoud Hussein, a journalist with Al Jazeera, has regained his freedom from the Egyptian government, after being unjustly incarcerated for four years in prison without trial.
The 54-year-old and father-of-nine has been in prison since December 2016 before he was finally released to his family on Saturday.
Hussein was apprehended in Cairo after returning from a trip to see his family in Qatar. He was subsequently subjected to gruelling interrogation that lasted for 15 hours without a lawyer present, before being released and arrested again, Al Jazeera reported.
The Al Jazeera staff was held on allegations of fake news and receiving foreign funds to tarnish the reputation of the state, remaining in detention for an extended period in violation of his fundamental rights.
The media outfit Al Jazeera, civil societies, and other media institution condemned his arrest by the government, since then have started campaigning for his immediate release from prison.
Al Jazeera welcomed the news in a press statement by its acting director-general Mr. Mostefa Souag, who said the release of was “a moment of truth and an inspiring milestone towards press freedom.”
“Al Jazeera Media Network welcomes the news of Mahmoud’s freedom, and believes that no journalist should ever be subjected to what Mahmoud has suffered for the past four years for merely carrying out his profession,” Aljazeera said in a statement Saturday.
“While he was incarcerated, Mahmoud had become a symbol of press freedom across the globe,” Al Jazeera added.
Hussein was released two weeks after Egypt and Qatar restored diplomatic, trade and travel ties, following a three three-year Saudi-led freeze on relations with Doha, with a particular focus on Al Jazeera’s coverage.
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