RELEASED: Friday, July 24, 2015
Foreign Correspondent Peter Greste: My Fight for Freedom
A two-part Foreign Correspondent special Airing Tuesday, July 28 & Tuesday, August 4 at 8pm on ABC
For the first time, journalist Peter Greste reports his own story: the trumped up terrorism charges, his 400 days in Egyptian jails, and the long hard fight for freedom of speech.
“So our arrest is not a mistake, and as a journalist this IS my battle. I can no longer pretend it’ll go away by keeping quiet and crossing my fingers.” - Peter Greste’s first letter from prison
For foreign correspondent Peter Greste, it was meant to be a routine assignment - a three week stint covering political unrest in Cairo. It spiraled into a 400 day prison ordeal, with Greste and two Al Jazeera colleagues accused of helping terrorists and spreading “false news”.
The Al Jazeera case was internationally derided and condemned as a gross miscarriage of justice - “chilling, draconian... deeply disturbing,” in the words of the US Secretary of State.
It’s been six months since Greste was deported from jail in Egypt - and 18 months since he reported a story. But now he’s finally back on the job.
In a two-part Foreign Correspondent special, Greste tells of his own extraordinary journey: from the mind numbing captivity of a Cairo hell-hole to the blast of freedom on a windswept Queensland beach.
“I sat down on the floor and I just remember bursting into tears, tears running down my face.” - Greste after the Cairo court sentenced him to seven years in jail
Greste tells how he and his colleagues fought to keep their spirits alive – making murals from scrap tin foil, scribbling long letters on toilet paper to be smuggled out to loved ones; and always dreaming of release.
“I want that moment of explosive joy, of happiness, of a crowd... because after all of this time you want it to end with a big bang.” – Greste heading home
“I sometimes understate things but I daresay ‘welcome home’ would not be out of place.” – Greste’s father Juris on the homecoming
Peter Greste’s parents and brothers reveal their torment during his incarceration - and their joy and relief on news of his deportation. His Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed - who are both free on bail – also describe their time in captivity.
Their re-trial is heading towards its climax. The verdict – which could see Greste sentenced in absentia and Fahmy and Baher thrown back into prison – is due on Thursday, July 30.
Part one of Peter Greste: My Fight for Freedom will air on Foreign Correspondent at 8 pm on Tuesday July 28, two days ahead of the scheduled verdict. Part two will air at 8pm on Tuesday, August 4 - after the verdict.
You can view previous episodes on iview and online at: abc.net.au/foreign
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