A Cairo court has sentenced three Al Jazeera journalists to three years in jail.
The retrial of Egyptian Baher Mohamed, Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Australian Peter Greste had been adjourned for a tenth time in Egypt early this month . The court to delivered the verdict on Saturday.
The journalists were found guilty in June 2014 of aiding a “terrorist organisation”, a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which was outlawed in Egypt after the army overthrew President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Greste and Fahmy received seven years, while Mohamed was given 10 years.
Peter Greste, speaking from Sydney prior to the verdict on Saturday, said he was hoping the court will finally clear their names.
“Everything hinges on this verdict.” Greste said. “None of us can move on with our lives until the court clears our names.” Greste added.
In January, an appeals court ordered a retrial, saying the initial verdict lacked evidence against the three journalists working for the Doha-based network’s English channel.
The journalists and Al Jazeera have vigorously denied the accusations during the trial.
Ten previous sessions in the court have all been adjourned.
Greste has already been deported to his native Australia under a law allowing the transfer of foreigners on trial to their home countries, but he is still being retried in absentia.
Fahmy and Mohamed are on bail ahead of the verdict after spending more than 400 days in detention.
Fahmy renounced his Egyptian nationality hoping he too would be deported.
The three men have received support from governments, media organisations and rights groups from around the world.
