Freed Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy back in Canada- reuters
Cairo – 23 August 2017: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry clarified Egypt’s stance towards Al-Jazeera channel and stressed Egypt’s freedom of expression on Monday during a press conference with his Estonian counterpart, Sven Mikser, in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.
“Tens, if not hundreds, of television and press services are not subject to any censorship. They carry out their civic responsibility as free and fair press, and they praise and criticize the government’s policies, which is an indication of respect for freedom of expression,” said Shoukry.
He added that freedom of expression in any country is organized by laws, regulations and institutions, and that it should not be taken out of context in any way.
Answering a question about Al Jazeera, Minister Shoukry told a journalist, “You failed to mention Al Jazeera reporter Mohamed Fahmy, who is currently suing Al Jazeera for having misrepresented his responsibilities to him – a matter which implicated him. He was unequivocal in clarifying the manner in which Al Jazeera operates, which is far from objective press coverage and is manipulative.”
Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian citizen, filed a lawsuit against Al Jazeera at a court in British Columbia, Canada on May 5, in which he is seeking 100 million Canadian dollars ($83M) in damages, Joanna Gislason, a Vancouver-based member of Fahmy's legal team, told BBC in May during a press conference held by Fahmy to clarify his position towards Al Jazeera.
Fahmy and two other journalists were jailed last year for spreading false news to help a terrorist group. However, their convictions were overturned on appeal and a retrial was ordered, BBC reported.
“Journalists are a very important part of society, and I hope they don’t consider themselves as a super entity that’s not governed by laws. We have every respect and determination to provide freedom of expression at all levels,” Shoukry added.
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