‘Appalled’ Abbott government will try to intervene for journalist Peter Greste
Crossposted from The Conversation. By Michelle Grattan
The Australian government will press the Egyptians “at the highest level” to try to free Australian journalist Peter Greste, sentenced to seven years jail after being convicted of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the government was “shocked” at the verdict and “appalled” at the sentence’s severity.
The court also found guilty two of Greste’s Al Jazeera English’s colleagues, with one receiving a ten-year sentence and the other seven years.
Without any doubt the treatment of Peter Greste by the Egyptian legal system is appalling. However it is unlikely anything said by the Australian government will have any affect on the Egyptian government. Why should it? The Egyptians think they are doing the right thing and the Australian government is without any influence.
I’m truly shocked at the decision for locking up a journalist who has done no wrong.
On the other hand, I am also shocked that Australia locks up asylum seekers who have also done no wrong.