BRISBANE (Queensland University of Technology/Pacific Media Watch): The Pacific Media Centre supports the call by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) for the release of Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste and his colleagues being detained in Egypt without charge.
The PMC director, Professor David Robie, has also praised a message from Queensland University of Technology in support of Greste, an Australian and a 1986 journalism graduate of QUT.
Greste's appeal against his ongoing detention without charge has been denied in a Cairo court. He and two colleagues from Egypt (one a dual Canadian-Egyptian citizen) have been held for a month without charge after being detained in Cairo on 29 December 2013.
The QUT journalism statement said:
We the undersigned Journalism staff of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) support the call of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) for the release of Peter Greste and his colleagues in Egypt.
Peter Greste, a Journalism graduate of this university, has become one of the first to face terror-related charges against journalists and foreigners, since the Egyptian government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation in December. Mr Greste, from the Al Jazeera English service, was detained on 29 December 2013 along with two of his colleagues: Mohamed Fahmy, a dual Canadian and Egyptian national, and Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian citizen.
As a student, he completed the QUT journalism degree of the time, BS52 Bachelor of Business (Communication) in 1986, with very creditable results. It was a grounding in commitment to truth and fairness in reporting, which we emphasise. That credo of journalism is practised by reputable news organisations throughout the world, concentrating on verification - establishing the facts as the basis for reporting news.We are proud to send out graduates who observe these standards; we are distressed and disgusted, to ever find those graduates traduced, intimidated and impeded in their work, let alone unjustly punished. We particularly deplore harsh treatment of detainees and any unnecessary use of judicial processes against them.
Peter Greste’s positive response to his journalism preparation here was an indicator of distinguished performances to follow, most recently with Al Jazeera English, which is familiar to ourselves, and recognised in the international community as a dependable and fair service.
Our understanding of the present situation is that the Al Jazeera English crew of which Peter Greste was a member, was conducting a routine form of journalistic inquiry, speaking to sources across a fairly broad range. Such work has been appreciated by audiences around the world during the current crisis.
We do understand the stress of the situation in Egypt, and we do understand also that good will exists, and the shared hope that reason will prevail. Accordingly we suggest an attitude of clemency would be wise in the present situation; the best interests of all would be served if these journalists were now released.
Prof. Brian McNair, Head of Journalism, Media and Communication
Assoc. Prof. Leo Bowman
Dr Lee Duffield
Dr Louise Grayson
Susan Hetherington
Ann Lund
Dr Angela Romano
Peter Greste appeal denied in Egypt
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Pacific Media Watch
