Al-Jazeera coverage endangers reporters’ lives, Fahmy

In a press conference titled “Al Jazeera on Trial,” held on Thursday, Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy denounced what the channel is calling “citizen journalism,” saying it is endangering the reporters’ lives.

It is not citizen journalism, Fahmy said, “it is taking sides in the conflict and endangering the lives of your reporters and becoming part of the struggle rather that reporting on it.”

Former Al-Jazeera journalist referred to “prominent reporter Ali Hashem and two other correspondents,” who quit from the Al-Jazeera Beirut over its bias.

He quoted a news report by Hashem, saying “Al Jazeera has supplied Syrian rebels with satellite communication tools to ensure telephone and Internet connection … and paid $50,000 for smuggling phones and other tools across the Syrian border to ensure they would get an inside picture.”

The Al-Jazeera Network coverage of Egypt has been repeatedly slammed by the government over backing the former ruling of the ousted President Mohamed Morsi and the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group. Its offices were closed in the country and the channel was blocked.