Dutch journalist leaves Egypt

A Dutch journalist who was arrested on national security charges alongside 19 other journalists was allowed to leave Egypt after mediation by the Dutch Embassy, her employers said Tuesday.

Prosecutors had filed a case against 20 journalists in what has become popularly known as the “Marriott Cell” case. The four foreigners that have been charged include a Dutch woman, whose name was not disclosed. Later, the Dutch journalist was listed as “Johanna Ideniette.”

It turned out to be Rena Netjes, a radio and print journalist. Netjes works for the private radio station BNR, as a producer for the public broadcaster NOS, and at Het Parool, a privately owned daily newspaper.

Nejtes was allowed to leave after mediation by Dutch authorities.

The two most well known journalists in the case, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste, work for Al Jazeera English. Al Jazeera correspondents have been vilified by the Egyptian press, who insist that the channel and its subsidiaries are threatening national security by supporting deposed President Mohamed Morsi.

Greste and Fahmy were arrested from the hotel room in the Zamalek Marriott they were working out of. Recently, a video of their arrest, set to an action movie soundtrack, was broadcast.

According to a news report on BNR, Netjes had been detained before, after suspicious private citizens detained her and handed her over to police.

Recently, the opposition Yaqeen News Network was also raided, and its staff arrested.