Egypt frees Aljazeera journalists

Two Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt for broadcasting false news have been freed after receiving pardons from President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.

Mohammed Fahmy, a Canadian, and Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian, were among 100 prisoners whose release was ordered.

State media said a third person from the case was also pardoned. It is not clear if this is the Australian Peter Greste, who was deported in February.

They were sentenced to three years in prison last month after a retrial.

Prosecutors accused them of collaborating with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in 2013.

The journalists denied the allegation and said they were simply reporting the news. Legal experts said the charges were unfounded and politically motivated.

A statement from President Sisi’s office issued on Wednesday said Fahmy and Mohamed were named on a decree pardoning 100 young people “who had received final court sentences, having been convicted on the grounds of violating the anti-protest law and assaulting police forces”.

“Other prisoners were pardoned due to their health conditions and on humanitarian grounds,” it added.