Egypt Sentences Al Jazeera Journalists to 7 Years

Three Al Jazeera English journalists arrested last fall on charges of concocting “fake news” were sentenced in Egypt on Monday to seven years each, a sentence that has provoked outrage from other journalistic institutions.

The Interior Ministry arrested Cairo bureau chief Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, Australian correspondent Peter Greste, and producer Baher Mohamed last December, part of a crackdown on journalists the government believes s connected to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been classified as a terrorist organization since the overthrow of former president Mohamed Morsi. The government alleged the men were fabricating news to stir unrest following Morsi’s ouster, though it had little evidence for its accusation.

The men were last seen caged in an Egyptian courtroom, where they protested their treatment. Another Al Jazeera journalist was recently released from Egyptian prison after a months-long hunger strike imperiled his health.

Watch video of the men below, via Patrick Kingsley:

[h/t NBC News]

[Image via screengrab]

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