Tomorrow (February 20th 2014) twenty journalists working for the Al Jazeera Network are due to go on trial in Cairo accused of belonging to or assisting a “terrorist organisation”.
The International News Safety Institute (INSI) – which for more than a decade has supported the safe working of journalists around the world – believes the Egyptian authorities are profoundly mistaken in bringing these charges to court and urges they be dropped.
It is the responsibility of independent journalists to seek to report a wide range of views and to report all sides of a conflict. This should not be confused with political action. A number of those held are personally known to INSI member organisations or have worked for them in the past and Al Jazeera is a key supporter of INSI. We believe all of those held to be committed to the principles of free speech.
Egypt’s action in arresting and charging journalists on political grounds casts doubt on the country’s commitment to democracy and free speech and to the principles of a free media.
We urge that all of those held should be released – regardless of nationality – and allowed to pursue their legitimate work.
The Board of the International News Safety Institute.
Richard Sambrook, Cardiff University
Richard Tait, Cardiff School of Journalism
Salim Amin, Africa 24 Media
Alison Bethel McKenzie, International Press Institute
Michael Christie, Thomson Reuters
Jeff Dubin, European Broadcasting Union
Chris Elliott, The Guardian
Takehiko Kusaba, NHK
Marcelo Moreira, TV Globo
Jonathan Munro, BBC
Deborah Rayner, CNN
Amy Selwyn, Storytegic
Fran Unsworth, BBC
Monique Villa, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Jon Williams, ABC
Hannah Storm, INSI
Source: Press Release