Skip to main content

Hunger-striking Al-Jazeera reporter attends court

By WTOP Staff

LAURA DEAN
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Looking thin and weak, an Al-Jazeera journalist held without charges in Egypt vowed Thursday to continue his more than 100-day hunger strike despite being moved to solitary confinement.

Arabic service journalist Abdullah Elshamy appeared in court after lawyers representing three Al-Jazeera English reporters abruptly quit their separate trial, accusing the Doha-based network of using the arrest of their staff to tarnish Egypt’s image.

Police arrested Elshamy, 26, after security forces broke up a sit-in of supporters of toppled President Mohammed Morsi at an area around Cairo’s Rabaah al-Adawiya mosque Aug. 14, an operation that killed hundreds.

Two days after his arrest, prosecutors accused Elshamy of belonging to a banned group, attacking government officials and other acts of violence and sabotage. However, authorities have never charged him with a crime.

Elshamy began a hunger strike to protest his detention and in his court appearance Thursday, Elshamy said authorities tried to force feed him tuna after putting him in solitary confinement on Monday.

“They want me to stop the strike,” Elshamy said. He added that a video smuggled out of prison and posted online yesterday in which he describes his arrest and detention in English may also have been part of the reason for the move. Elshamy said he will continue his hunger strike.

His family said Elshamy suffers from severe anemia and problems with his kidneys. They’ve asked he be moved out of prison to a hospital. Amnesty International also says authorities have denied him access to a doctor despite repeated requests.

In a statement Thursday, Amnesty urged authorities to release the journalist, describing him as a “prisoner of conscience, detained solely for his journalistic work.”

Egypt’s military-backed interim government has long accused Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, its Arabic service in particular, as acting as a platform for the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of toppled Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The journalists and the network deny the charges.

Amnesty said Elshamy had been beaten by security forces when they transferred him between prisons and police stations. His final destination was Tora prison, where authorities hold many Brotherhood members and supporters.

Interior Ministry spokesman Hani Abdel-Latif told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Elshamy was in the Torah prison complex, but wouldn’t specify which of its five wings.

Police arrested the Al-Jazeera English journalists Dec. 29 after police raided a Cairo hotel room they used as an office. Canadian-Egyptian acting bureau chief Mohammed Fahmy, Australian correspondent Peter Greste and Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed face charges of belonging to and aiding a terrorist group, namely the Brotherhood. They also face charges of fabricating footage to undermine Egypt’s national security.

At their earlier hearing Thursday, lawyer Farag Fathi stood in front of Judge Mohammed Nagi Shehata to denounce the network.

“The Al-Jazeera channel is offending Egypt,” Fathi said. He also claimed the network attributed comments to him on air that he didn’t say.

The three lawyers represent both Greste and Mohammed. Their decision to quit raised fears among the journalists it would harm their chances in court. They said the lawyers didn’t warn them ahead of the hearing of their decision.

“What the lawyer did makes us look bad!” Fahmy shouted to journalists from behind bars. “We are very angry with the way this is unfolding!”

Prosecutors also said lawyers for the journalists must pay 1.2 million Egyptian pounds — some $170,000 — for copies of the evidence against them, an unusually high amount of money.

In a statement Thursday, Al-Jazeera said it continued to work “with a first-class legal team to end this injustice.”

“There have been many farcical scenes during the previous seven court hearings, and today was another example,” the statement said. “It is an affront to justice for the prosecution to attempt charging $170,000 for the defense to see the video evidence against them.”

In addition to the three journalists, 14 other people are charged in the case. All but nine are being tried in absentia, though one newly arrested defendant attended the trial for the first time Thursday. Other defendants include students who opposed Morsi’s ouster, including a son of a high-ranking leader Mohammed el-Beltagy. The journalists say they have no relationship with the students.

Their trial will resume May 22.

___

Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote