An Egyptian court levied harsh sentences on three reporters from Al-Jazeera English on terrorist charges. Two of those sentenced received seven years and the third, a local producer, 10 years. Courtroom observers said there was no evidence to justify those sentences. (The Guardian, June 23, 2014, by Patrick Kingsley)
Two academicians write that the sentences are part of the Abdel Fatah al-Sisi regime’s strategy to intimidate political opposition and the press and to reduce the influence of Qatar, headquarters of Al Jazeera, a country that supports the Muslim Brotherhood. (The Conservation, June 24, 2014, by Andrea Teti and Srah Hynek of the University of Aberdeen)
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with al-Sisi a day before the verdict to voice his objections to crackdowns on protestors and received an assurance that the Egyptian president would reconsider his policies. A day later Kerry found himself contacting al-Sisi to object to the verdict which he called “chilling and draconian.” (Chicago Tribune editorial, June 24, 2014)
The Los Angeles Times thinks that pardons for the journalists and clemency for other political convictions should be a precondition for any future military aid to Egypt. (Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2014, by the Times editorial board)