Cairo – The Al-Jazeera journalists accused of backing Egypt’s blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood will go on trial February 20, said judicial sources on Monday.
Egypt’s interim government has been incensed by Al-Jazeera television’s coverage of a deadly crackdown against the Brotherhood to which the deposed Islamist belongs.
A total of 20 people said to have worked as journalists for Al-Jazeera were referred for trial on January 30.
They were accused of portraying Egypt in a state of “civil war” and “airing false news”.
The Qatar-based Al- Jazeera network confirmed that only “nine network staff are on the list of 20, meaning most of those named are not employees of Al-Jazeera.”
Facing trial are 16 Egyptians and four foreigners — including Australian Peter Greste, Britons Sue Turton and Dominic Kane, and Dutch journalist Rena Netjes.
The 16 Egyptians have been accused and charged for belonging to a “terrorist organisation… and harming national unity and social peace”.
The four foreigners are accused of “collaborating with the Egyptians by providing them with money, equipment, information… and airing false news aimed at informing the outside world that the country was witnessing a civil war.”
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