Egypt prosecutors outline allegations against Al-Jazeera journalists

CAIRO – Egypt’s prosecutors say three detained journalists working for Al-Jazeera English — including a Canadian — are being interrogated on suspicion of having unlicensed equipment and broadcasting false news that harmed national security.

Formal charges against Australian correspondent Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian acting bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed have not yet been filed as the investigation is ongoing.

They were taken into custody on Dec. 29 at a hotel room in Cairo where they were working after the Egyptian government raided the offices of the Qatar-based satellite news broadcaster.

Today’s statement from the chief prosecutor’s office doesn’t include earlier police allegations that the three men belong to a terrorist group.

However, it says some of them confessed to being members of the Muslim Brotherhood — which is considered a terrorist group in Egypt — without specifying.

A Foreign Affairs spokesman in Ottawa has said they’ve been in touch with the Canadian-Egyptian journalist, but Fahmy’s family says the Canadian government is not doing enough to secure his release.

Al-Jazeera insists the three journalists were just doing their jobs.