Christian BryantEgyptian officials released an Al Jazeera Arabic reporter Tuesday over "health conditions" after the journalist went on a hunger strike for more than four months.
The 26-year-old Abdullah Elshamy was released from Cairo's Scorpion prison to a crowd of supporters. He reportedly looked thinner than usual but claimed victory over his captors: "I have won. ... I'm now more determined than before."
Elshamy was arrested in August 2013 and accused of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. As The Wire reports, "He was taken for his affiliation with Al Jazeera, which had been accused by Egypt's new military leaders of supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi."
Elshamy was reportedly one of 13 people freed by the Egyptian prosecutor general for health reasons. BBC reports the other 12 were supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
According to Gawker, Elshamy had been on a hunger strike for close to 150 days to protest his detention. They add that he was being held and later treated in solitary confinement.
While Al Jazeera praised the release of Elshamy, the outlet also rejects the continued detention of three other journalists who were jailed in December for similar reasons. (Via YouTube / Graeme Baker)
The Guardian reports the verdict of their case will be handed down June 23. They face a maximum penalty of 15-25 years.
