Canadian journalist in Cairo faces charges that include joining terrorist group
Posted Jan 29, 2014 8:08 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The family of an Egyptian-Canadian journalist imprisoned in Cairo expressed shock Wednesday as authorities abruptly charged the man with being part of a terrorist group.
The allegation was among a slate of charges brought against Mohamed Fahmy and 19 other employees of satellite news broadcaster Al Jazeera in what’s believed to be the first time Egypt sent journalists to trial for terror related charges.
Fahmy’s family said he is charged with using illegal equipment, broadcasting false news that endangered national security and being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group Egypt’s military-led government has branded a terrorist organization.
“Today is the worst day,” Fahmy’s brother Sherif told The Canadian Press.
“When you read the prosecutor’s document, it’s all about Mohamed…it’s as if they’re talking about someone who planned for explosions, or is a big leader in the Muslim Brotherhood, not a journalist.”
Mohamed Fahmy and his two colleagues — Australian Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohamed— were taken into custody on Dec. 29 at a hotel room in Cairo where they were working after the Egyptian government raided the offices of Al Jazeera English.
Egyptian authorities characterized the arrest as part of a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and depicted Al Jazeera as being biased towards former Islamist president Mohammed Morsi — who was ousted by the military in July — and his Muslim Brotherhood-led supporters.
Al Jazeera has denied the bias and has demanded the release of its reporters, who it says were only doing their jobs.
Wednesday’s charges were laid without warning, said Fahmy’s family, and went against earlier assurances from the local prosecutor that the journalist was no longer suspected of links to the Muslim Brotherhood.
“We were all shocked, even the lawyer,” said Fahmy’s brother. “Now there’s nothing to do except to wait until the date of the trial.”
A statement from Egypt’s prosecutor said the journalists accused Wednesday — eight of whom are said to be in custody — had established a media network which used two suites in a luxury hotel in Cairo as a media centre, supported with cameras, broadcasting equipment and computers.
The statement said they allegedly “manipulated pictures” to create “unreal scenes to give the impression to the outside world that there is a civil war that threatens to bring down the state” and broadcast scenes to aid “the terrorist group in achieving its goals and influencing the public opinion.”
Fahmy, Al Jazeera English’s acting bureau chief in Cairo, was singled out by an official investigating the case.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Egyptian-Canadian was an alleged member of the Muslim Brotherhood, led the media operation that “fabricated footage” and aired it on Al-Jazeera and CNN with the “aim of harming Egypt’s reputation” in the world.
The official said equipment used to “fabricate” the footage was confiscated in the hotel where the journalists worked, including editing equipment, microphones, cameras, computers, Internet broadcasting equipment and money.
Fahmy’s family said evidence they and Al Jazeera had provided to refute the allegations didn’t appear to have been taken into account.
“It’s insane because Al Jazeera provided several documents proving that Mohamed is innocent from all of this stuff,” said Fahmy’s brother.
Fahmy’s parents — who travelled to Cairo from Montreal two weeks ago — informed Canadian officials of the latest developments but weren’t sure how much help they could expect from consular officials.
“There’s nothing they can do actually, except just take us along with them next Monday when they go visit him,” said Fahmy’s brother. “We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Fahmy’s charges were laid just days after prison officials stripped away a blanket, warm clothing and writing materials that he had been allowed to have at the insistence of Canadian officials. The journalist has since been spending his time in a cold, cramped, insect-ridden cell where he sleeps on the concrete floor.
Canadian officials have said they are providing consular services to Fahmy and his family and have raised this case with senior Egyptian officials.
Fahmy’s family moved to Canada in 1991. He and his three brothers all went to university in Canada before eventually moving abroad for work.
As a journalist Fahmy covered stories for the New York Times and CNN among other news outlets before moving to Egypt in 2011 and eventually becoming Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Cairo.
His ordeal stretches on as police wage a fierce crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, killing hundreds of supporters and arresting thousands more.
Many Muslim Brotherhood leaders are now in detention or on trial, mostly on violence-related charges. Morsi himself is on trial as well.
— with files from the Associated Press.
___
Follow @dianamehta on Twitter.
