Exploring Press Freedoms through the Jailing of Al Jazeera Journalists in Egypt

February 7, 2014

(AFP Photo)

Egyptian authorities have charged eight journalists from Al Jazeera with allegedly conspiring with a terrorist group and "broadcasting false information and rumors to convince the international community that Egypt was undergoing a civil war," according to Egypt's state-run media.

The eight journalists include three -- Australian Peter Greste, and Eygptians Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy -- who have been held by authorities since December 29, 2013. The charges against the journalists come amid a military crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood following the ouster of the country's first democratically-elected president, Mohamed Morsy. Egyptian authorities say the three jailed Al Jazeera journalists held illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood, which was declared a terrorist group in December.

Western leaders, human rights groups and journalists have called on Egypt to release the men, saying their arrests are a violation of human rights and media freedoms. And Al Jazeera English managing editor Al Anstey called for the charges to be dropped, saying the allegations were "unjust and unacceptable."

"Journalists exist to cover and challenge all sides of every story, so the idea we would broadcast 'false news' is not only totally wrong, it is also a challenge to journalism itself and the critical role journalism plays in informing people worldwide what is really going on," Anstey said in a statement.

"Everyone can clearly see they are accurate, comprehensive, balanced and underpinned with quality and integrity. The reports tell all sides of the complex story in Egypt," he said.

Lesson Guiding Questions:

• Are the charges that the journalists are accused of true or false? What evidence has been provided from the Egyptian government?
• What are the rights of journalists in different countries? How do you think these accusations would have been handled in the United States?
• What protections are guaranteed for journalists in the United States? What protections are available in other countries?
• Why might those protections be limited in other countries?

Resources & Media

• CNN: 8 Aljazeerah Journalists Charged by Egyptian authorities, network says - One of the reports from CNN on the detaining of journalists in egypt.
• Al Jazeera slams journalist detentions as Egypt releases list of accused - Al Jazeera's coverage of the journalists' detention.
• A letter from Tora Prison - A letter, published January 25, 2014 from Peter Greste, one of the journalists from Al Jazeera who has been imprisoned.
• World Press Freedom Map - From the Newseum