Al Jazeera Journalist Files $100 Million Lawsuit Against the Network

A television journalist from Al Jazeera, currently on trial in Egypt, has filed a lawsuit in Canada against the network for negligence, seeking $100 million in damages. Mohamed Fahmy, who was arrested in Egypt on charges of aiding terrorist groups and spent over 400 days in prison, claims that the actions of Al Jazeera led to his arrest and imprisonment. Al Jazeera has not yet responded to this legal complaint. According to Reuters, Fahmy and another Al Jazeera journalist, Baher Mohamed, were sentenced to 10 years in prison by Egyptian authorities for 'spreading false news' and 'aiding terrorist groups,' indirectly referring to the Muslim Brotherhood. Their Australian colleague, Peter Greste, who was also detained and tried alongside them, was released and expelled from Egypt earlier this year. All three journalists have vehemently denied the charges against them. In January, Egyptian authorities ordered a retrial, stating that some legal standards were not upheld during the initial trial. Fahmy, of Egyptian origin but a Canadian citizen, renounced his Egyptian citizenship following his arrest and trial in Cairo. Joanna Gialason, Fahmy's lawyer, stated at a press conference in Cairo that the Canadian courts have been asked to investigate Al Jazeera's negligence regarding their employee. The lawsuit claims that Al Jazeera should pay $100 million for the physical harm caused to Fahmy due to its role in his arrest and imprisonment. Since General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ousted Mohamed Morsi's government in 2013, human rights practices in Egypt have faced significant criticism. During the crackdown on Morsi's supporters, hundreds were killed and thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members were imprisoned. El-Sisi has stated that he would have preferred that Al Jazeera journalists be expelled from Egypt rather than imprisoned and tried.