2 journalists for Al-Jazeera pardoned, freed

CAIRO — Egypt released two journalists for Al-Jazeera English TV from prison after a presidential pardon on Wednesday, a dramatic development in a case that has been widely condemned by human rights groups and international organizations.

The two — Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian national Baher Mohammed — were originally arrested in December 2013 and sentenced to three years in prison last month for airing what a court in Cairo described as “false news” and biased coverage.

Fahmy and Mohammed were released just hours after the pardon was announced, and dropped off by police in a Cairo suburb. It was not immediately clear if all other of a total of 100 prisoners pardoned by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi were also freed Wednesday.

Fahmy said he and his colleague Mohammed were taken by surprise by the pardon. Speaking shortly after his release, Fahmy said he still “can’t believe it.”

“We have not digested the fact that we are free, we don’t have to worry about anything else,” said Fahmy. “Our families have suffered so much since the beginning of this trial and we’re very happy that el-Sissi took this action and released us.”

El-Sissi’s pardon of 100 prisoners, including dozens of human rights activists, came on the eve of the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha and a day before the Egyptian president is to travel to New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

“To be honest, I anticipated that el-Sissi may release some prisoners, knowing that he’s going to the United Nations,” said Fahmy. “But I didn’t think our names would be included.”

“Where are we going to start? What are we going to do? We’re going to travel the world, we’re going to celebrate, we’re going to party,” he added.

Fahmy’s wife Marwa Omara said she learned of the news from a TV set that was on at the prison while she was visiting her husband. Standing at his side following his release, Omara said the “bad dream” is over and “we will have to start our life again.”

The state-run MENA news agency said a third person from the Al-Jazeera case — which included multiple other defendants along with Australian journalist Peter Greste — was also pardoned but was not identified by name.

Greste was deported earlier this year and was tried in absentia, along with six other Al-Jazeera employees.

Al-Jazeera said it was “delighted” for the freed men.

AFP / Getty Images Mohamed Fahmy (second from left) and his wife, Marwa Omara (left), and Baher Mohammed and his wife, Jihan, celebrate in Cairo after the men were released from prison.