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Peter Greste

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Peter Greste
Greste in 2015
Born (1965-12-01) 1 December 1965 (age 59)
Sydney, Australia
CitizenshipAustralian
Latvian
EducationBachelor of Business
Alma materQueensland University of Technology
Occupation(s)Academic, journalist, writer
Notable workFreeing Peter (2016)
The First Casualty (2017)
Criminal statusArrested and jailed in Cairo, Egypt on 29 December 2013 and sentenced for 7 years on 23 June 2014

Deported to Australia
on 1 February 2015
to face prison or trial
(Australia did not uphold)

Egyptian retrial in absentia on 29 August 2015 increased jail sentence by another 3 years
Conviction(s)Falsifying news and having a negative impact on overseas perceptions of Egypt
Criminal penalty10 years prison (2013-23)
400 days served (2013-15)

Peter Greste (Latvian: Pēteris Greste; born 1 December 1965) is a dual citizen Latvian Australian academic, memoirist and writer. Formerly a journalist and foreign correspondent, he worked for Reuters, CNN, the BBC, and Al Jazeera English; predominantly in the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

On 29 December 2013, Greste and two other Al Jazeera journalists were arrested by Egyptian authorities in Cairo. On 23 June 2014, Greste was found guilty of falsifying news and having a negative impact on overseas perceptions of the country, and sentenced to seven years prison. The Australian Government intervened and negotiated on his behalf with a new Egyptian government.

On 1 February 2015, Greste was officially deported to Australia (via Cyprus) on the condition that he face prison or trial in his home country; something Australia did not uphold. At a retrial on 29 August 2015, an Egyptian court sentenced Greste in absentia to another three years in prison. However, he avoided serving that sentence because he was already out of Egypt and did not return. If the full sentences were served, Greste would have been incarcerated until December 2023.

Early life and education

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Peter Greste was born on 1 December 1965[1] in Sydney, Australia.[2][3] He has Latvian ancestry and two younger brothers.[4][2]

Greste was school captain of Indooroopilly State High School,[5] and holds a Bachelor of Business degree from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.[6][4]

Early career

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From 1991 to 1995, Greste was based in London, Bosnia, and South Africa, working for Reuters, CNN, WTN and the BBC. In 1995, he was based in Kabul, Afghanistan, as a correspondent for the BBC and Reuters, followed by a year in Belgrade as a correspondent for Reuters.[7]

Greste returned to London and worked for BBC News 24. He was next based in Mexico, then Santiago, as a correspondent for the BBC.[7]

Greste returned to Afghanistan in 2001 to cover the start of the War in Afghanistan . Afterwards, he worked across the Middle East and Latin America. From 2004, Greste was based in Mombasa, Kenya, then Johannesburg, South Africa, followed by six years in Nairobi, Kenya.[citation needed]

In June 2011, Greste reported from dangerous areas in Somalia, including Mogadishu, presenting Somalia: Land of Anarchy for the BBC programme Panorama.[8] That year, he left the BBC and became a correspondent for Al Jazeera English in Africa.[9][10]

Egyptian trial and imprisonment

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Main article: 2013–15 detention of Al Jazeera journalists by Egypt

In late December 2013, Greste was arrested in Cairo with Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed.[11] "The interior ministry said the journalists had held illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood", which was recently declared a terrorist group; furthermore, the journalists were accused of news reporting which was "damaging to national security".[12][13] In January 2014, Egyptian authorities were reportedly going to charge twenty Al Jazeera journalists, including Greste, of falsifying news and having a negative impact on overseas perceptions of the country.[14] The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Egypt to "promptly release" the Al Jazeera personnel in custody.[15]

On 21 February 2014, Greste was refused bail and his case was adjourned until 5 March.[16] During a 31 March hearing, Greste asked to be released, telling the judge "The idea that I could have an association with the Muslim Brotherhood is frankly preposterous."[17] On 23 June, Greste was found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison.[18] Mohammed Fahmy also received seven years while Baher Mohamed received ten years.[19] International media reaction was swift and negative. US Secretary of State John Kerry described the prison sentences as "chilling and draconian" and noted that he had spoken to Egyptian governmental officials including President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi.[20] Despite widespread international media condemnation, al-Sisi declared that he would not interfere with judicial rulings.[21]

Internationally, Greste and his colleagues were portrayed as political prisoners due to the nature of the trial, the evidence presented and the sentences imposed.[22] On the other hand, "Cairo felt that the Qatari media outlet (Al Jazeera) had become a mouthpiece for the ousted and banned Muslim Brotherhood. The harsh sentences were handed down as a warning to the Gulf state to not get involved in Egyptian domestic politics."[23] On 1 January 2015, the Court of Cassation announced a retrial for Greste and his colleagues. Release on bail was not permitted.[24] The Australian Government intervened,[25] and Greste was officially deported to Australia (via Cyprus) on 1 February. The Egyptian law allowing the deportation of foreigners stipulated that they face prison or trial in their home country, but Australia did not uphold either.[26][27] Otherwise, no explanation was given for his release.[28]

On 29 August 2015, an Egyptian court sentenced Greste and his two colleagues to another three years in prison, with Baher Mohamed receiving an additional six months. Greste was tried in absentia and avoided imprisonment because he was deported to Australia in February and did not re-enter Egypt.[29][30]

On 23 September 2015, Fahmy and Mohamed were pardoned by Egyptian President al-Sisi.[31]

Later career, academia, and other activities

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In 2017, Greste wrote, directed, and featured as interviewer in Facebook: Cracking the Code, a 45-minute television documentary for the ABC Television programme Four Corners. The episode's theme was the "lack of online privacy and the lengths the tracking goes to", but it also told Greste's personal story of how his supporters used Facebook's algorithms to help spread his own story.[32][33][34][35]

In February 2018, Greste was appointed UNESCO Chair in Journalism and Communications at the University of Queensland.[36]

In 2018 Greste presented the ABC series Monash and Me, a two-part TV documentary miniseries on the heroics of Australian First World War military commander Sir John Monash. In the making of the series, Greste discovered his own family's role in Monash's First Australian Imperial Force.[37]

In 2020, with Australian lawyer Chris Flynn and journalist Peter Wilkinson, Greste co-founded the not-for-profit Alliance for Journalists' Freedom. Their focus is on working with governments to implement media freedom laws, and campaigning in the Asia Pacific region.[38] One of their aims is for the Australian Government to enact a Media Freedom Act.[39]

In 2022, Greste commenced as an adjunct professor of journalism at Macquarie University.[39]

On 2 November 2022, Greste delivered a public lecture on media freedom and national security titled "The Pen and The Sword" on ABC Radio National's program Big Ideas.[40]

Greste has brought attention to Alaa Abd El-Fattah, whom he described in 2022 as "easily the best-known political prisoner in Egypt today". He cited Abd El-Fattah's collection of writings entitled You have not yet been defeated as especially meaningful to him, because, when imprisoned with Abd El-Fattah for several months in 2014, he had helped him to understand their predicament, and given him the psychological tools to survive what they went through.[39] After the Egyptian authorities had extended Abd El-Fattah's sentence beyond its end date, on 30 September 2024[41] his mother Laila Soueif began a daily hunger strike outside the UK government's Foreign Office in Westminster.[42] In mid-January 2025 Greste joined Soueif for a 21-day hunger strike.[43][41]

Books

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In 2016, Penguin Books published Freeing Peter, Greste's biographical account of his family's efforts to free him from an Egyptian prison.[44]

Greste's next book, The First Casualty (2017), was shortlisted for the 2018 Walkley Book Award[45] and reportedly contains a "first-hand account of how the war on journalism has spread from the battlefields of the Middle East to the governments of the West".[46][47]

Recognition and awards

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Greste in 2012 with his Peabody Award

Greste won a Peabody Award for a BBC documentary on Somalia in 2011.[48] Somalia: Land of Anarchy was aired on Panorama in June 2011.[8]

Two weeks after being released from prison and deported from Egypt in February 2015, Greste accepted a special Royal Television Society award in London on behalf of himself and two Al Jazeera colleagues, Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy, for sacrifices to journalism.[49]

After separately advocating widely for freedom of the press and free speech, Greste was individually awarded the 2015 Australian Human Rights Medal.[50]

He has also won the International Association of Press Clubs' Freedom of Speech Award and the RSL's ANZAC Peace Prize.[39]

In film

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In October 2024, The Correspondent, an Australian film adaptation of Greste's experiences, had its world premiere at the Adelaide Film Festival. Based on Greste's 2017 memoir The First Casualty, the screenplay was written by Peter Duncan and the film was directed by Kriv Stenders. The role of Greste was played by Richard Roxburgh.[51]

Personal life

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Greste is a dual citizen of Australia and Latvia.[3]

He met his partner, Christine Jackman, around six months after being released from prison in Cairo. She is a former correspondent and journalist, writing Long-form journalism. In 2021 Greste was stepfather to her two teenage boys.[52]</ref>[39]

In 2021, the State Library of Queensland commissioned a digital story and an oral history interview with Greste.[53]

In a 2022 interview at Macquarie University, Greste said he was a keen kitesurfer. He was then living in Brisbane.[39]

References

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  1. ^ Colvin, Mark (1 December 2014). "Peter Greste spends 49th birthday in Cairo prison". PM. ABC Radio. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  2. ^ a b Ojārs Greste (2010). "Austrālijas latvietis iesakņojies Āfrikā". Laikraksts Latvietis (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 3 January 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Peter Greste calls on Tony Abbott to speak out for imprisoned journalists". The Guardian. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  4. ^ a b Fletcher, Clare (12 April 2015). "Peter Greste – the man behind the headlines". The Walkley Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  5. ^ Dalton, Trent (5 February 2015). "Peter Greste arrives back home". The Australian. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Professor Peter Greste | UQ Experts".
  7. ^ a b "Dispatches – Peter Greste". The Digital Journalist. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Panorama, Land of Anarchy". BBC. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Peter Greste: Biography". Crossing Continents. BBC News. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  10. ^ Listening Post. "Peter Greste – Al Jazeera Blogs". Blogs.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  11. ^ Paul Farrell (5 February 2014). "Peter Greste and two al-Jazeera colleagues moved to same cell". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  12. ^ "Egypt crisis: Al-Jazeera journalists arrested in Cairo". BBC News. 30 December 2013. Archived from the original on 8 July 2015.
  13. ^ Peter Greste (25 January 2014). "Peter Greste's letters from Egyptian jail". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017.
  14. ^ Patrick Kingsley (29 January 2014). "Egypt to charge al-Jazeera journalists with damaging country's reputation". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016.
  15. ^ "UN urges Egypt to release foreign journalists, including Peter Greste". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 1 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Egyptian court adjourns trial of Australian journalist Peter Greste". ABC News. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  17. ^ "Canadian journalist asks Egyptian judge to free him: 'I ask for acquittal'". Toronto Star. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  18. ^ "Secretary Kerry: Prison sentences for Al Jazeera reporters 'deeply disturbing set-back' for Egypt". Big News Network. Archived from the original on 24 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Peter Greste trial: Al Jazeera journalist found guilty". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Australia. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  20. ^ "Egypt trial: Outcry over al-Jazeera trio's sentencing". BBC News. 23 June 2014. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  21. ^ "Egypt's president says will not interfere in judicial rulings". Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  22. ^ "Egypt's press freedom on retrial". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  23. ^ "Egypt's press freedom on retrial". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  24. ^ "Peter Greste: Appeals court in Egypt orders retrial in case of Australian journalist". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 January 2015. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015. An Egyptian appeals court has ordered a retrial in the case of Australian journalist Peter Greste and two of his Al Jazeera colleagues.
  25. ^ "Press conference on Peter Greste". Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  26. ^ Kirkpatrick, David D. (February 2015). "Egypt Deports Peter Greste, Journalist Jailed with 2 al Jazeera Colleagues". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  27. ^ "Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed sentenced to at least three years' jail". ABC News. 30 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  28. ^ Greste released and deported Archived 1 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ "Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed sentenced to at least three years' jail". ABC News. 30 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  30. ^ "Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohammed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed sentenced to at least three years' jail". ABC News. 30 August 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  31. ^ "Peter Greste receives news of al-Jazeera journalist's pardon – video". The Guardian. 23 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 December 2016.
  32. ^ James, Mathew R. (24 August 2017). "Cracking The Code". Medium. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  33. ^ Greste, Peter (13 April 2017). "Facebook: Cracking the Code". Apple TV. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  34. ^ "Facebook: Cracking the Code". mubi. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  35. ^ "Peter Greste: Datenkrake Facebook. Das Milliarden-Geschäft mit der Privatsphäre (ZDFinfo)". de:Medienkorrespondenz (in German). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  36. ^ "Internationally acclaimed journalist appointed to UQ". UQ News. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  37. ^ "Monash and Me: Peter Greste On Australia's Great Commander". Artemis Media. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  38. ^ "About". Alliance for Journalists' Freedom. 9 April 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  39. ^ a b c d e f Greste, Peter (25 November 2022). "10 questions with… Peter Greste". This Week At Macquarie University (Interview). Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  40. ^ "National security and media freedom". ABC listen. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  41. ^ a b Ford, Mazoe (25 January 2025). "Australian journalist Peter Greste on hunger strike for political prisoner who saved his life". ABC News. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  42. ^ Wintour, Patrick (15 December 2024). "Alaa Abd el-Fattah: mother on hunger strike takes protest to Westminster". The Guardian.
  43. ^ Greste, Peter (15 January 2025). "I owe Alaa Abd el-Fattah my life, which is why I am going on a hunger strike to help free him". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  44. ^ "Freeing Peter by Andrew Greste". Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  45. ^ "2018 Walkley Book Award Shortlisted Finalists Announced". The Walkley Foundation. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  46. ^ "The First Casualty by Peter Greste". Archived from the original on 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  47. ^ "The First Casualty: a memoir from the front lines of Journalism". State Library Of Queensland One Search Catalogue. 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  48. ^ "Search Winners Database [2011]". Peabody Awards. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Six years after his producer was shot dead in Somalia, BBC correspondent Peter Greste returned to the war-ravaged African nation to document everyday life. What he and cameraman/director Fred Scott report in this segment of the current affairs series Panorama is beyond unsettling. Somalia's misery is encyclopedic...
  49. ^ Dickens, Tim; Greste, Peter. "Peter Greste" (video + text). Royal Television Society. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  50. ^ "2015 Human Rights Medal and Awards Winners | Australian Human Rights Commission".
  51. ^ "The Correspondent". Adelaide Film Festival. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  52. ^ Marshall, Konrad (19 February 2021). "Former Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste on finding love with Christine Jackman". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  53. ^ "Peter Greste in Conversation". State Library of Queensland. 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
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