SBS World News's Brett Mason travelled to Cairo with Peter's brother, Andrew Greste, who has spent five of the last 12 months in the Egypatian capital fighting for his brother’s freedom.
“It’d break your heart if you … spent a lot of time dwelling on the circumstances and the fact that he’s been locked up there for the last 12 months merely for doing his job,” Andrew said.
“It’s been a long tough campaign. Hopefully we’re closer to the end than we are to the beginning.”
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Christmas Eve that Peter’s case was "under consideration" by high levels of the Egyptian government and that she remained hopeful and optimistic Peter could be released before his appeal on January 1.
Andrew Greste, brother of the Australian journalist Peter Greste of Al-Jazeera, talks sitting on stairs during the trial of his brothe on March 5, 2014. (AFP/Getty Images)
"I urged (the Egyptian foreign minister) to consider releasing Peter Greste for Christmas, we wanted him out and home as soon as possible," Ms Bishop told the Seven Network.
"We've got our fingers crossed, we don't know whether we have secured this yet. His appeal ... is listed for the first of January so it would be very exciting if there were some steps taken before then."
Greste was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in June last year, along with two colleagues working for Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera, after being convicted of broadcasting false news and aiding a terrorist organisation.
The trio is appealing against the convictions on the grounds of flawed evidence.
Greste has been in custody since December 29, 2013. It was revealed on Tuesday that he had written a letter to his supporters as the anniversary loomed.
In the letter, Greste says he feels proud and strengthened by all that has been achieved so far in galvanising political debate about the right to free press, the persecution of journalists and justice in Egypt.
"We have galvanised an incredible coalition of political, diplomatic and media figures, as well as a vast army of social media supporters for that most basic of rights - the right to know," Greste writes.
"Everyone, from US President Barack Obama to the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, has been speaking out both publicly and in private to demand our release and call for a free press in Egypt."
“He’s a tough bugger,” says Greste’s brother, Andrew. “He’s determined that this whole experience isn’t going to break him.”
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