[JURIST] An Egyptian court on Sunday postponed the announcing of a verdict for three retried Al Jazeera English journalists until August 29. Judge Ahmed Yousry, in justifying the retrial’s tenth adjournment [Al Jazeera report], stated [AP report] that the decision was made because the accused were not present for security reasons. Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed, Canadian national Mohamed Fahmy and Australian journalist Peter Greste were found guilty by an Egyptian court in 2014 of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive], which Egyptian authorities have declared a terrorist organization, and airing false footage to damage Egyptian national security during the 2013 ousting of Mohammed Morsi [BBC profile; JURIST news archive]. Their retrial was ordered by an appeals court in January. The proceedings have been the subject of criticism by activists for human rights and freedom of press.

The prosecution and subsequent imprisonment of journalists by the Egyptian government has garnered widespread criticism from international governments and rights groups. In February, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] welcomed [JURIST report] the decision by Egyptian authorities to release Fahmy and Mohamed on bail. The men were arrested [JURIST report] in December 2013 along with Greste. In March Greste was released [JURIST report] from the Cairo detention facility and deported, under a law allowing the deportation of foreign nationals to their home countries. Fahmy is currently facing retrial and suing [JURIST report] Al Jazeera, alleging that the news organization was in fact a sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, and this connection negligently led to Fahmy being detained.