The Egyptian Ambassador to Australia has defended the trial and imprisonment of Australian journalist Peter Greste, insisting the case examined a “clear breach of the rule of law”.
The Al Jazeera journalist along with colleague Mohamed Fahmy were handed seven-year jail terms for reporting false news, with colleague Baher Mohamed receiving an extra three years in a legal process that has been widely criticised.
When ambassador Dr Hassan El-Laithy was asked directly by ABC Radio Canberra Presenter Philip Clark if he believed the imprisonment and guilty verdict of Mr Greste were “right”, he said the description right or wrong was not applicable in the case.
“I would have loved to see Peter Greste reuniting with his family, it’s not about my wish or our wish, it’s about when the rule of law is the case [and] when there is a clear breach of law,” Dr El-Laithy said.
“When we talk about the rule of law, the rule of law should be implemented in all cases, it should not be on a select basis.”
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He also held out little hope on the question of whether Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi would pardon Mr Greste. Dr El-Laithy said there had to be respect for the decisions of the judiciary, implying the president would not intervene on M Greste’s behalf.
Peter Greste’s family and supporters are currently rallying around the 200 day anniversary of his imprisonment today, ramping up their campaign via Facebook and a website urging his release.
Mr Clarke also put to Dr El-Laithy that Egypt had gone backwards on human rights, freedom of the press and other liberties.
“This is the rule of law, and of course, with all due respect to Peter Greste I do empathise and I do wish to see him reunited and I do acknowledge him as a special journalist but the rule of law - and the reality [is] I am here actually to bring some more information to the audience out of respect to the audience and to the media and the role of the media as the fourth power,” Dr El-Laithy said.
When asked what crime Mr Greste was guilty of, Dr El-Laithy said Mr Greste had been working as a journalist without the proper visa.
“For Mr Greste himself he came with a tourist visa - and practising without a licence and without prior notification and accreditation; and you are a journalist and you know you need the accreditation,” he said.
“... It was for the theme of Al Jazerera practicing illegally and the type of media broadcasted through Al Jazeera [that] was really taken as offences against the legal system; so there is a legal case we are dealing with.”
When Mr Clarke suggested the Egyptian government had not respected the role of the media, Dr El-Laithy countered by questioning whether Australians were aware of the realities of the current situation in Egypt, suggesting the Greste case was not representative of the overall media environment in the country.
“That’s why my question for you [is] are you aware about the realities in Egypt? If you are aware that more than 2000 foreign journalists are working from Egypt, representing all of the biggest media institutions all over the world. And they are working freely and reporting freely - and from the Australian media - they are working there,” he said.
“Unfortunately many of your resources of your information is not wide enough to know we are trying [hard] to move through the new phase with the challenges. And the democratic transformation will take place, it is not that we are sitting (still).”
