CAIRO (AP) – Here is a look at the major events in the arrest and trial of three Al-Jazeera English journalists imprisoned in Egypt for over a year:
Dec. 29, 2013: Security forces storm into a five-star hotel suite in Cairo and arrest Canadian-Egyptian Mohammed Fahmy, Australian Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohammed, all working for Al-Jazeera English. Authorities accuse the men of meeting there to “spread rumors harming national security.” Mohammed Fawzy, a cameraman also arrested at the time, is released two days later. The journalists had been working at the hotel since the Egyptian government raided their offices.
Dec. 31, 2013: Egypt’s top prosecutor orders the journalists held for 15 days on suspicion of joining a terrorist group, referring to the Muslim Brotherhood of ousted Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, and for spreading false news harmful to state security. The order was renewed on Jan. 9.
Jan. 13, 2014: More than 50 news organizations, including The Associated Press, call on Egyptian authorities to release the detained journalists. In a statement, the organizations say: “We strongly believe that upholding the rights of journalists and permitting the free flow of information is vital to bringing about greater understanding and serves the best interests of all Egyptians and the world.”
Jan. 29, 2014: The prosecutor refers the case to trial.