A request by Egypt to issue a red notice – which is tantamount to an international arrest warrant – against Ahmed Mansour, the Al-Jazeera journalist convicted for alleged torture in absentia by the North African country has been turned down by Interpol, the international organisation for police cooperation.
The popular television network says Interpol’s refusal of Egypt’s request is a clear sign that the “targeted campaign by Egypt against Al Jazeera” was gaining lacking in merit in the international community.
Mansour was given a 15-year jail tail over torture charges he describes as absurd, with Al Jazeera dismissing the allegation as “a flimsy attempt at character assassination against one of its leading journalists”
News of Interpol’s rejection was contained in an email sent by the police organisation to Al Jazeera which availed that Egypt’s National Central Bueau had requested for Mansour, although their application was thrown out as it did not meet required Interpol standards
Al Jazeera’s spokesperson Osama Saeed said: “This is further evidence of how Egypt’s legal actions against Al Jazeera are perceived as part of a political campaign against the network. This campaign is plainly not working and we will not be intimidated – journalists and citizens across the world are horrified by these breaches of basic press freedom. After the unjust imprisonment of three of our journalists last year who remain in Egyptian prison, and this unwarranted pursuit of one of the Arab world’s most prominent journalists, the Egyptian authorities should stop undermining freedom of speech, one of the pillars of the civilized world.”
Al Jazeera has also called for the release of three of its journalists – Baher Mohammed, Mohammed Fahmy and Peter Greste – who have been in Egyptian jail since Sunday, December 29, 2014 as part of another case.
