#FreeAJStaff [@AJEnglish] action to hit 30 countries on Thursday
Wednesday, February 26, 2014Omoba
• Global Day of Action called in support of journalists detained in Egypt
• Stands of solidarity, vigils and events planned in 30 cities across the world
Events supporting Al
Jazeera’s detained journalists in Egypt are planned in over 30 countries for
this Thursday, 27 February 2014.
Al Jazeera hopes that,
through the attention of the world’s media and partners, pressure can be
brought to bear on the Egyptian authorities to hasten the release of Peter
Greste, Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Abdullah El Shamy.
Al Jazeera English's
Mohamed, Fahmy and Greste have been detained since 29 December 2013. Al Jazeera
Arabic’s El Shamy has been detained without charge since 14 August 2013 and has
been on hunger strike in protest since 23 January 2014.
“We truly appreciate
the solidarity from everybody right around the world," says Dr. Mostefa
Souag, general director of Al Jazeera Media Network. "The pressure,
support and calls for our colleagues to be released have continued to keep the
story in the news. The Global Day of Action is about the freedom of the press;
it is about objective reporting and ensuring journalists cannot be gagged or
silenced. We ask everyone to contribute to the Global Day of Action on
Thursday. Journalism is not a crime.”
The hashtag
#FreeAJStaff has gone viral worldwide, with quarter of a billion impressions on
Twitter alone since 1 February 2014. The campaign has already had an outpouring
of popular and political support worldwide, with institutions including the
White House, European Union and the United Nations calling for the release of
the journalists and for press freedoms to be upheld.
The campaign looks set
to ramp up further with public events taking place in Nairobi, Sydney, Manila,
Islamabad, Doha, Amman, Ankara, Berlin,
London, Rio, Montreal, Washington DC and San Francisco on Thursday. Every
continent of the world will see action.
Al Jazeera is urging
people from all backgrounds to join in by supporting the rallies and amplifying
the social media campaign using the hashtag #FreeAJstaff.
To build on the online
#FreeAJstaff campaign, Al Jazeera will be using Thunderclap, which will allow
people to pledge a Tweet, Facebook post, or Tumblr post containing the same
message that’s unleashed, all at the same time, throughout the world.
For more information
on the Global Day of Action, visit www.aljazeera.com/Freeajstaff
For more details on
Thunderclap:
1. Visit
http://thndr.it/1nTMx5Z and click on a red “Support with” button for Twitter,
Facebook, or Tumblr.
2. Click “Add My
Support”
3. You’ll be prompted
to authorize your account so Thunderclap can post a message for you; agree.
4. Spread the word and
get other people to do it.
What happens: At 14:00 GMT on Thursday, 27 February 2014,
Thunderclap will post simultaneously to the hundreds of Twitter and Facebook
accounts supporting the campaign in a truly global action.
For interviews, please email
pressoffice@aljazeera.net
Regards
Kevin Kriedemann & Joy Sapieka
Publicists: Africa
AL JAZEERA MEDIA NETWORK
+27 83 556 2346 (Kevin)
+27 73 212 5492 (Joy)
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