CAIRO: “Another delay for my life not for the case; I want this to end as soon as possible,” Journalist Baher Mohamed told The Cairo Post Sunday after his verdict session was adjourned to August 29.
The verdict, which was set to be pronounced Sunday, in the retrial of three Al-Jazeera journalists was postponed over the absence of some defendants. This is the second time the verdict to be delayed after the last adjournment July 30.
Outside the court, Mohamed said he believes the “postponement is due to the opening of the new Suez Canal [which is scheduled August 6]; I think this is the main reason.”
Before the session of Al-Jazeera case started Sunday, the court adjourned at least three other cases.
“My life continuous to be on hold; however, I cannot complain as I know there are other journalists still behind bars,” he added.
The three journos: Canadian Mohamed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and deported Australian Peter Greste are accused of broadcasting false news, joining the banned- Muslim Brotherhood group and operating from Egypt without license.
In June 2014, the three were sentenced to seven-ten years in prison; an appeal court abolished the sentence in January “due to lack of evidence” and ordered a retrial.
During the retrial, the journalists’ lawyers cited “shallow” evidences presented in the prosecution’s accusations.