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The journalists could face up to 15 years in prison for what many say was the simple act of reporting on the actions of the Egyptian state.
Journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed pleaded not-guilty in a Cairo court last week in the case which has been described as a "trial of journalism itself." The three were detained in December in Egypt among a group of 20 journalists facing similar charges related to the case. Nine of those journalists work for Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera Arabic's Abdullah Elshamy has been detained without charge since 14th August 2013, and has been on hunger strike in protest since 23rd January. Two others, Abdullah Al-Shami and Mohammed Badr, have been detained in Egypt since last year. Three others will stand trial absentia.
Al Jazeera organized a massive online campaign calling for the Egyptian state to free the prisoners, spawning the global day of action Thursday.
Protesters gathered in roughly 30 cities across the world including Sydney, Manila, Islamabad, Doha, Amman, Nairobi, Ankara, Berlin, London, Rio, Toronto, Washington DC and San Francisco, posting pictures of their demonstrations using the #FreeAJStaff hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr in a 2pm GMT "thunderclap."
"Al Jazeera hopes through the attention of the world's media and partners, pressure can be brought to bear on the Egyptian authorities to hasten the release of Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Abdullah Al Shamy by reminding them in a united voice, that journalism is not a crime," the media network said on Wednesday.
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Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.

The journalists could face up to 15 years in prison for what many say was the simple act of reporting on the actions of the Egyptian state.
Journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed pleaded not-guilty in a Cairo court last week in the case which has been described as a "trial of journalism itself." The three were detained in December in Egypt among a group of 20 journalists facing similar charges related to the case. Nine of those journalists work for Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera Arabic's Abdullah Elshamy has been detained without charge since 14th August 2013, and has been on hunger strike in protest since 23rd January. Two others, Abdullah Al-Shami and Mohammed Badr, have been detained in Egypt since last year. Three others will stand trial absentia.
Al Jazeera organized a massive online campaign calling for the Egyptian state to free the prisoners, spawning the global day of action Thursday.
Protesters gathered in roughly 30 cities across the world including Sydney, Manila, Islamabad, Doha, Amman, Nairobi, Ankara, Berlin, London, Rio, Toronto, Washington DC and San Francisco, posting pictures of their demonstrations using the #FreeAJStaff hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr in a 2pm GMT "thunderclap."
"Al Jazeera hopes through the attention of the world's media and partners, pressure can be brought to bear on the Egyptian authorities to hasten the release of Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Abdullah Al Shamy by reminding them in a united voice, that journalism is not a crime," the media network said on Wednesday.
______________________
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. He is the author of Migrant Justice in the Age of Removal. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.

The journalists could face up to 15 years in prison for what many say was the simple act of reporting on the actions of the Egyptian state.
Journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed pleaded not-guilty in a Cairo court last week in the case which has been described as a "trial of journalism itself." The three were detained in December in Egypt among a group of 20 journalists facing similar charges related to the case. Nine of those journalists work for Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera Arabic's Abdullah Elshamy has been detained without charge since 14th August 2013, and has been on hunger strike in protest since 23rd January. Two others, Abdullah Al-Shami and Mohammed Badr, have been detained in Egypt since last year. Three others will stand trial absentia.
Al Jazeera organized a massive online campaign calling for the Egyptian state to free the prisoners, spawning the global day of action Thursday.
Protesters gathered in roughly 30 cities across the world including Sydney, Manila, Islamabad, Doha, Amman, Nairobi, Ankara, Berlin, London, Rio, Toronto, Washington DC and San Francisco, posting pictures of their demonstrations using the #FreeAJStaff hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr in a 2pm GMT "thunderclap."
"Al Jazeera hopes through the attention of the world's media and partners, pressure can be brought to bear on the Egyptian authorities to hasten the release of Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Abdullah Al Shamy by reminding them in a united voice, that journalism is not a crime," the media network said on Wednesday.
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