US Presses Egypt to Release Al Jazeera Staff

{{The US White House has condemned the detention of Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt and called for their release}}.

On Tuesday, it was 38 days since Egyptian authorities detained Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohammed and Peter Greste at their hotel in Cairo.

Their Al Jazeera Arabic colleagues Abdullah Al Shami and Mohammed Badr are also in Egyptian custody.

The three Al Jazeera English journalists have been held without charge in prison in Cairo. They are accused of spreading false news and having links to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt classified as a terrorist organisation.

The government in Cairo said their cases have been referred to the criminal court. However Al Jazeera has not been notified of any formal charges.

The White House said that it is deeply concerned about the recent crackdown by the Egyptian government on journalists and academics.

“These figures, regardless of affiliation, should be protected and permitted to do their jobs freely in Egypt,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane at a White House briefing.

“We have strongly urged the government to drop these charges and release those journalists and academics who have been detained,” he said.

{wirestory}