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| Egypt pardons Al Jazeera journalists Fahmy and Mohamed | Egypt pardons Al Jazeera journalists Fahmy and Mohamed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Egypt's president has pardoned two of the three Al Jazeera TV journalists convicted of broadcasting false news. | Egypt's president has pardoned two of the three Al Jazeera TV journalists convicted of broadcasting false news. |
| A presidential spokesman told AFP news agency that Mohammed Fahmy, a Canadian, and Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian, were on a list of 100 prisoners to be released. | A presidential spokesman told AFP news agency that Mohammed Fahmy, a Canadian, and Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian, were on a list of 100 prisoners to be released. |
| Mohamed did not appear to be on the list when it was first published on Wednesday, nor did the Australian Peter Greste, who was deported in February. | Mohamed did not appear to be on the list when it was first published on Wednesday, nor did the Australian Peter Greste, who was deported in February. |
| They were sentenced to three years in prison last month after a retrial. | 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. | 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. | The journalists denied the allegation and said they were simply reporting the news. Legal experts said the charges were unfounded and politically motivated. |
| Pardoned alongside Fahmy and Mohamed were the prominent activists Yara Sallam and Sanaa Seif, who were sentenced to two years in prison in October 2014 for breaking an anti-protest law that gives the Egyptian authorities broad powers to ban or disperse most public demonstrations. | |
| No reason was given for President Sisi's decision on Wednesday, but it comes ahead of the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha and a day before he travels to New York to address the UN General Assembly. | |
| Mr Sisi had also said he would be willing to pardon the Al Jazeera journalists once the judicial process had ended. | Mr Sisi had also said he would be willing to pardon the Al Jazeera journalists once the judicial process had ended. |
| Fahmy, who renounced his Egyptian citizenship to qualify for deportation in February, is expected to leave for Canada once he is released. | Fahmy, who renounced his Egyptian citizenship to qualify for deportation in February, is expected to leave for Canada once he is released. |
| The first trial of the journalists, at which they were sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison, was widely condemned and Egypt's Court of Cassation ordered a retrial after ruling in January that the original court had been "hasty in pronouncing its verdict". |