CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's president issued a new decree Wednesday granting him the power to deport foreign defendants convicted or accused of crimes, a move that could allow him to free imprisoned journalists from the Al-Jazeera English satellite news channel.
The decree by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi allows him to deport foreigners whenever he decides it is the best interest of the country. The presidency did not elaborate about the decree. The Al-Jazeera case involves Australian reporter Peter Greste, Canadian-Egyptian acting bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed, convicted on terrorism charges and for broadcasting false news. Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison, while Mohammed received a 10-year sentence.
It was not immediately clear if the decree would apply to dual citizens such as Fahmy, or whether the president intended to use the new powers on this case.
The judge who sentenced the journalists later said they were brought together "by the devil" to destabilize the country. The main evidence cited was interview footage produced by the journalists critical of the government.
Their convictions drew international condemnation and raised concerns about the state of freedom of expression in Egypt. Amnesty International called the trial a "farcical spectacle" and a "ferocious attack on media freedom."
The three are awaiting an appeal hearing set for Jan. 1.
El-Sissi had said many times that he was unable to issue a presidential pardon to the imprisoned journalists until after a final verdict. He told The Associated Press in September that if he had been in power at the time he "wouldn't have let the issue go so far" and "would have deported them."
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera English did not immediately comment on the decree Wednesday night.
Meanwhile Wednesday, Egypt's state news agency reported that a naval patrol near the country's Mediterranean port of Damietta came under attack from three boats, prompting an exchange of fire that wounded no sailors. A military official told the MENA news agency that 20 people were subsequently arrested. The official, unnamed in the report, did not identify the attackers.
The decree by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi allows him to deport foreigners whenever he decides it is the best interest of the country. The presidency did not elaborate about the decree. The Al-Jazeera case involves Australian reporter Peter Greste, Canadian-Egyptian acting bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed, convicted on terrorism charges and for broadcasting false news. Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison, while Mohammed received a 10-year sentence.
It was not immediately clear if the decree would apply to dual citizens such as Fahmy, or whether the president intended to use the new powers on this case.
The judge who sentenced the journalists later said they were brought together "by the devil" to destabilize the country. The main evidence cited was interview footage produced by the journalists critical of the government.
Their convictions drew international condemnation and raised concerns about the state of freedom of expression in Egypt. Amnesty International called the trial a "farcical spectacle" and a "ferocious attack on media freedom."
The three are awaiting an appeal hearing set for Jan. 1.
El-Sissi had said many times that he was unable to issue a presidential pardon to the imprisoned journalists until after a final verdict. He told The Associated Press in September that if he had been in power at the time he "wouldn't have let the issue go so far" and "would have deported them."
Qatar-based Al-Jazeera English did not immediately comment on the decree Wednesday night.
Meanwhile Wednesday, Egypt's state news agency reported that a naval patrol near the country's Mediterranean port of Damietta came under attack from three boats, prompting an exchange of fire that wounded no sailors. A military official told the MENA news agency that 20 people were subsequently arrested. The official, unnamed in the report, did not identify the attackers.