Egypt jails journalists

2014-06-23 36

ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION

An Egyptian judge sentenced three Al Jazeera journalists on Monday to seven years in jail after finding them guilty on charges including helping a "terrorist organisation" by publishing lies.

The three include Australian Peter Greste, Al Jazeera's Kenya-based correspondent, and Canadian-Egyptian national Mohamed Fahmy, bureau chief of Al Jazeera English.

A third defendant, Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed, received an additional three-year jail sentence on a separate charge involving possession of weapons.

Another 11 defendants were sentenced in absentia to 10 years.

Tanks guarded the entrance to a Cairo court on Monday (June 23), ahead of the hearing.