The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Incident

Egypt arrests and later convicts three Al Jazeera journalists on terrorism-related charges

EgyptRSF 2026 rank: 169th of 180

Engraving of an empty press briefing room with a lectern and rows of chairs

Months after the military removed President Mohamed Morsi, Egyptian security forces arrested Al Jazeera English journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed at a Cairo hotel; courts later convicted them of aiding a banned organization, and international pressure led to pardons.12345

What happened

On December 29, 2013, Egyptian security forces arrested Al Jazeera English correspondent Peter Greste, bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy and producer Baher Mohamed at Cairo's Marriott Hotel, months after the military, led by then-Defense Minister Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, removed elected President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, which the government later designated a terrorist organization. Prosecutors charged the journalists with aiding the Brotherhood and "spreading false news"; a June 2014 trial convicted them, and an August 2015 retrial, after the first conviction was overturned on appeal, again found them guilty of "aiding a terrorist organisation," partly, the judge said, because they had not registered with the country's journalist "syndicate," sentencing Fahmy and Mohamed to three years. Al Jazeera called the verdict "a deliberate attack on press freedom"; Greste, already deported and tried in absentia, said, "We did nothing wrong. The court presented no evidence." President Sisi pardoned Fahmy and Mohamed on September 23, 2015, as part of a wider amnesty.12345

What reason was given

Stated justification

Prosecutors charged the journalists with aiding the banned Muslim Brotherhood and "spreading false news"; the August 2015 judge cited, in part, their failure to register with the country's official journalist "syndicate" and unauthorized broadcast equipment.2

What changed for reporting

All three lost their liberty for over a year on charges press-freedom groups said lacked evidence; Al Jazeera said the verdict was "yet another deliberate attack on press freedom," and the United Nations said it was "very disturbed" by the sentences.34

Timeline

2013

29 December 2013
Egypt arrests and later convicts three Al Jazeera journalists on terrorism-related charges

Who acted

NameRole in this incidentOffice at the time
Abdel Fattah el-SisiorderedPresident of Egypt
Adly MansourorderedInterim President of Egypt
Baher MohamedotherProducer, Al Jazeera English, Cairo
Mohamed FahmyotherBureau Chief, Al Jazeera English, Cairo
Peter GresteotherCorrespondent, Al Jazeera English

Outlets and journalists

NameKindRelation
Al Jazeera Englishoutletaffected

Sources

  1. Al Jazeera journalists arrested in Egypt archived copyAl Jazeera, 2013-12-30, reporting. Source record
  2. Al Jazeera staff sentenced to jail in Egypt archived copyAl Jazeera, 2015-08-29, reporting. Source record
  3. Al Jazeera journalists freed from Egypt prison archived copyAl Jazeera, 2015-09-23, reporting. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. The 2015 retrial found the journalists guilty of aiding a terrorist organization.guilty of 'aiding a terrorist organisation'Al Jazeera staff sentenced to jail in Egypt archived copy, Al Jazeera, 2015-08-29.Claim 280, checked 2026-09-22.
  2. The judge said the conviction rested partly on the journalists' failure to register with the country's journalist syndicate.sentenced the men to prison at least partly because they had not registered with the country's journalist 'syndicate'Al Jazeera staff sentenced to jail in Egypt archived copy, Al Jazeera, 2015-08-29.Claim 281, checked 2026-09-22.
  3. Al Jazeera said the verdict was another deliberate action against press freedom.Today's verdict is yet another deliberate attack on press freedomAl Jazeera staff sentenced to jail in Egypt archived copy, Al Jazeera, 2015-08-29.Claim 282, checked 2026-09-22.
  4. Greste said the court presented no evidence and called the verdict political.We did nothing wrong. The court presented no evidence. For us to be convicted as terrorists is outrageous. It can only be a political verdict. This is unethicalAl Jazeera staff sentenced to jail in Egypt archived copy, Al Jazeera, 2015-08-29.Claim 283, checked 2026-09-22.
  5. President Sisi included the journalists in a pardon of people caught up in demonstration-law and related cases.100 young people trapped in issues related to the breach of the law on demonstrations and some humanitarian and health casesAl Jazeera journalists freed from Egypt prison archived copy, Al Jazeera, 2015-09-23.Claim 284, checked 2026-09-22.