Jason Clare (Blaxland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The parliament is still reeling from the decision of an Egyptian court on Monday night and the sentences it handed down to Australian journalist Peter Greste and his two Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed. I think we are all still in shock. I am sure I speak for all Australians when I say that this just does not make sense. Peter Greste is a journalist, and journalism is not a crime. These men have been locked up just for doing their jobs.

Our hearts go out to them and to Peter's mum and dad, who have shown such stoicism and grace in such awful circumstances, and to Peter's brothers, Andrew and Mike, who are doing what we would all hope any brother would do—standing right beside him when he needs them most. He also needs us. As the Leader of the Opposition has said, Labor will do everything that we can to assist the government in securing Peter's release.

As the Minister for Foreign Affairs said the other night, 'This kind of verdict does nothing to support Egypt's claim to be on a transition to democracy.' She is right. Freedom of the press is a non-negotiable part of any democratic nation. For Egypt to be a democratic country, freedom of the press must be protected, and that means that Peter Greste and his colleagues must be released. As Peter's dad said yesterday, 'This man, our son Peter, is an award winning journalist, he is not a criminal.' He should be arriving home and into his parent's arms and not in a maximum security cell in Cairo, and it is our responsibility to work together towards that end. (Time expired)

Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise also to speak about the terrible sentence that has been handed down against Australian journalist Peter Greste. As a former television journalist myself for many years, I wish to record my shock not just at the conviction but at its severity. The evidence simply did not stack up to support this conviction. Peter Greste was doing what every fine Australian correspondent does—doing his job reporting the facts with integrity, with balance and without fear or favour. I wish to commend the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, who has made it clear that the Australian government will seek to intervene in whatever way it can with the new government in Egypt. I note the position articulated by Egyptian President el-Sisi overnight.

Like so many Australians, I am hoping and praying that it will be possible to see justice done, if not by intervention, then by way of an appeal process or by other means, such as taking this case to the International Court of Justice. My heart goes out to Peter; his parents, Juris and Lois; his brothers, Andrew and Mike, and their family; and the two other Al Jazeera journalists who have also been convicted. As Mr Greste has said, journalism is not a crime: 'This man, our son Peter, is an award winning journalist, he is not a criminal. He is not a criminal.' In Australia, we take press freedom for granted. This case reminds us how important those freedoms are.