El Sisi: Egypt’s government will not interfere with Al Jazeera sentencing

The US is leading calls for President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to pardon the journalists convicted of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood movement and 'spreading false news'.

CAIRO // Egypt’s president said on Tuesday the authorities will not interfere in the judiciary, as protests were staged worldwide in solidarity with Al Jazeera journalists, including an Australian, whose jailing has sparked outrage.

The United States is leading calls for President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to pardon the journalists convicted of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood movement and “spreading false news”.

A Cairo court sentenced award-winning Australian journalist Peter Greste and Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fadel Fahmy to seven years in jail on Monday, while producer Baher Mohamed was handed 10 years.

Eleven of 20 defendants who stood trial were giving 10-year sentences in absentia, including one Dutch journalist and two British journalists. Those sentenced can appeal before the court of cassation.

Since the army removed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013, the Egyptian authorities have been incensed by Al Jazeera’s coverage of their deadly crackdown on his supporters.

They consider the pan-Arab satellite network as the voice of Qatar, and accuse Doha of backing Morsi’s Brotherhood, while the emirate openly denounces the repression of the Islamist supporters.

Mr El Sisi, the ex-army chief who led Mr Morsi’s removal before being elected president in May, said the authorities “will not interfere in judicial matters”.

“We have to respect judiciary rulings, and not comment them even if others don’t understand them,” he said in a televised speech.

Mr El Sisi’s comments came a day after the White House urged the Egyptian authorities to pardon the journalists.

But a presidency official said Mr El Sisi cannot legally do so until a final court ruling after any appeals.

Middle East expert Karim Bittar said the “rulings confirm that Egypt is living in a purely McCarthyist climate”.

In Egypt, however, the Al Jazeera rulings drew limited criticism, with newspapers on Tuesday speaking of verdicts against “terrorists” accused of “tarnishing Egypt’s image abroad”.

* Agence France-Presse