Peter Greste released from jail

Australian journalist Peter Greste has been released from an Egyptian jail after 400 days behind bars.

The Al Jazeera reporter is believed to be making his way home to Australia via Cyprus after receiving a Presidential pardon.

 His brother Andrew Greste wrote on Twitter Monday morning that Peter Greste was “a free man” and had left Egyptian airspace.

“Can’t thank all the tweeters enough!” He wrote.

“Without the worldwide support we could not have got through it.”

Al Jazeera news presenter Jane Dutton announced the release during an Al Jazeera bulletin, saying the reporter was in "good health". 

Greste and his two colleagues, Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy, were detained in Cairo on charges that include aiding a terrorist group.

The journalists were each sentenced to at least seven years behind bars in a trial widely described by international human rights groups as a sham.

Qatar-based Al Jazeera said the campaign to free its journalists will continue until Mohamed and Fahmy are also released.

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By Rhiannon Elston


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