AKIPRESS.COM - Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said Tuesday he will not interfere in court rulings, a day after three Al-Jazeera journalists were sentenced to seven years in prison in a verdict that an international outcry, the Associated Press said Tuesday.
The ruling, on terrorism-related charges, stunned their families and brought a landslide of condemnation and calls for el-Sissi to intervene.
According to Egypt's constitution, the president has the right to issue a pardon or commute the sentences. U.S., Australian and other officials have urged el-Sissi to use this right to immediately release the journalists.
Rights groups have described the trial as a politically motivated sham reflecting the tense relations between Egypt and the Qatar-owned station.
Qatar has been a strong supporter of Islamists in the region and in particular Egypt's former president, Mohammed Morsi, overthrown by the military last summer.
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