2013–15 detention of Al Jazeera journalists by Egypt
| Date | December 29, 2013 – September 23, 2015 (1 year, 8 months, 3 weeks and 4 days) |
|---|---|
| Location |
Cairo Marriott Hotel Cairo, Egypt |
| Also known as | "the Marriot cell"; by Egyptian authorities |
| Outcome | Presidential Pardon |
| Suspect(s) |
 Peter Greste Baher Mohammed Mohamed Fahmy
|
| Charges | reporting false news, connections with the Muslim Brotherhood (later overturned) reporting false news (convicted but later overturned) |
| Verdict | Guilty on 2 counts (23 June 2014; later overturned) Guilty on 1 count (29 August 2015; charges cleared on 23 September 2015) |
| Awards |
 Royal Television Society award (19 February 2015)
|
| As of 23 September 2015, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were pardoned by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and had their charges overturned while Peter Greste's charges haven't yet been overturned since being released and deported to Australia on 1 February 2015. | |
On December 29, 2013, three journalists working for the Qatari-based international news channel Al Jazeera English, Australian Peter Greste, Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed were taken into custody by Egyptian security forces at the Marriott Hotel in Cairo following a raid at their room, which was used for the news channel's remote studio. The Egyptian Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest and said the journalists were accused of reporting false news which was "damaging to national security".
On June 23, 2014, after a four-month trial, all three were found guilty and were sentenced to between 7 and 10 years imprisonment, despite harsh criticism from other governments and human rights organizations. A day later, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared that he would not interfere with judicial rulings.
In February 2015, Peter Greste was released from prison and deported back to Australia via Cyprus, while the other two journalists were released on bail, pending a new trial. After the retrial, the reporters were again found guilty and sentenced between 3 and 3.5 years imprisonment. A month later, they were released from prison following a presidential pardon issued by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Australian journalist Peter Greste and his colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were arrested on 29 December 2013 at the Cairo Marriott Hotel after the police conducted a raid at their room, which was used as their makeshift news studio. The Egyptian Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest and said the journalists were accused of reporting false news which was "damaging to national security".
Following their arrest, Greste and his colleagues were imprisoned in Egypt in solitary confinement for a month before any formal charges were made.
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