Al Jazeera journalists denied release on bail

Cairo Criminal Court turned down another request to release Al Jazeera journalists on bail Monday, adjourning their trial until April 10, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

Monday’s session was expected to review video evidence by the prosecution, however the judge said that there was no equipment in the court to display it.

The case involves 20 defendants, only nine of whom work for Al Jazeera, according to the network. The defendants, dubbed by Egyptian authorities as members of the so-called "Marriott Cell," are being tried on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization and working without accreditation, alongside other accusations.

The defendants include the Egyptian-Canadian bureau chief of Al Jazeera English, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, and his colleagues ​Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed. The three were arrested last December when security forces raided their room at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek.

During the court session, the judge asked that the defendants be let out of the dock and approach the bench, where they each made their case into a microphone and attempted to convince the judge that they are in no way affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Other defendants included Anas al-Beltagy, the son of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed al-Beltagy. He told the judge that he did not work for Al Jazeera and did not know why he had been lumped with journalists.

Beltagy also said that he did not know the journalists being tried.

Fahmy’s brother, Adel, told Mada Masr the judge’s request to listen to defendants was a “positive gesture” by the judge.

“This will serve the case because other defendants who actually belong to the Muslim Brotherhood, such as Anas al-Beltagy, told the judge that they do not know the journalists, which proves that the case brings together a group of defendants that are not related to each other,” he said.

Fahmy's brother added that the judge was just as surprised that the courtroom was not equipped to show videos presented by the prosecution as evidence.

The family was optimistic about the judge granting the defendants release on bail, he said.

At the end of the session, the judge ordered the police officer responsible for bringing the prosecution’s videos to be detained, for failing to bring evidence for the third time in a row. He ordered the prosecution to show their evidence next session.

Last week, interim President Adly Mansour responded to a letter by Fahmy’s family. Mansour wrote that he stood by the independence of the judiciary and that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure a prompt and fair solution to the case.  

A week earlier, Greste’s parents, Lois and Juris Greste, received a similar letter from Mansour, saying that he would "spare no effort” to quickly resolve the case.

Al Jazeera said it rejects the charges against its staff and continues to call for their immediate release.