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| Peter Greste: Al-Jazeera journalist freed by Egypt | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Jailed al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste has been deported from Egypt, state media say. | |
| The Australian ex-BBC correspondent was arrested in December 2013 and jailed last June on charges including spreading false news. Reports say he has left on a plane for Cyprus. | |
| There is no word on the two al-Jazeera men who were jailed with him, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. | There is no word on the two al-Jazeera men who were jailed with him, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. |
| All the defendants denied the charges and said their trial was a sham. | |
| They were accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in 2013. | They were accused of collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood after the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi by the military in 2013. |
| The three men said they were simply reporting the news. | The three men said they were simply reporting the news. |
| Al-Jazeera tweeted that it welcomed Peter Greste's release and demanded Mr Fahmy and Mr Baher be freed. | |
| International campaign | International campaign |
| Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi had said in November he was considering the possibility of granting pardons to the two foreign al-Jazeera journalists. | |
| Then in January, Egypt's top court ordered a retrial of all three men. | |
| On Sunday an Egyptian official told Agence France-Presse news agency: "There is a presidential decision to deport Peter Greste to Australia." | |
| Another official told Associated Press the release had been co-ordinated with the Australian embassy in Cairo. | Another official told Associated Press the release had been co-ordinated with the Australian embassy in Cairo. |
| Cairo airport officials reported that Mr Greste had left on a plane for Cyprus at about 16:00 (14:00 GMT). | |
| The BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo says Egyptian law requires those deported under these circumstances to either finish their sentence in their home country or be put on trial again there, and it is unclear whether the Australian authorities have agreed to that. | The BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo says Egyptian law requires those deported under these circumstances to either finish their sentence in their home country or be put on trial again there, and it is unclear whether the Australian authorities have agreed to that. |
| Mostefa Souag, acting director general of al-Jazeera Media Network said: "We're pleased for Peter and his family that they are to be reunited. It has been an incredible and unjustifiable ordeal for them, and they have coped with incredible dignity." | |
| But he added: "We will not rest until Baher and Mohamed also regain their freedom. The Egyptian authorities have it in their power to finish this properly today, and that is exactly what they must do." | |
| There has been a huge international campaign to try to secure the release of the reporters. | |
| Mr Fahmy holds Egyptian and Canadian citizenship and is the Egyptian-Canadian bureau chief. | Mr Fahmy holds Egyptian and Canadian citizenship and is the Egyptian-Canadian bureau chief. |
| Mr Mohamed, a producer, is an Egyptian national. | Mr Mohamed, a producer, is an Egyptian national. |
| Mr Greste and Mr Fahmy were sentenced to seven years, while Mr Mohamed is serving 10. | Mr Greste and Mr Fahmy were sentenced to seven years, while Mr Mohamed is serving 10. |
| The case has caused tension between Egypt and Qatar - where al-Jazeera is based - although ties between the nations have improved recently. |