Egyptian court again postpones verdict in retrial of Al-Jazeera journalists

An Egyptian court on Sunday postponed its verdict a second time in the retrial of three Al-Jazeera journalists: Australian Peter Greste, Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohamed. The trial is set to be rescheduled to 29 August.

The court had already delayed its verdict this past Thursday when the presiding judge, Hassan Farid, claimed he was ill.

Another judge on Sunday said the verdict was held off again because other defendants in the trial could not be transported from their cells to the courtroom. The delays have caused widespread criticism.

Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed were convicted in June 2014 for aiding the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that became outlawed in 2013 following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi. Their trial was heavily controversial and received international condemnation. The three defendants have vehemently denied every charge leveled against them.

Fahmy and Greste received seven-year prison terms in the original trial, while producer Mohamed was jailed for 10 years.

Though Egypt deported Greste in February, Fahmy, Baher and several other defendants were released on bail at the start of the retrial. At least three other defendants remain imprisoned in separate cases.

After hearing news of the postponement, Fahmy tweeted his frustration.

Giles Trendle, acting managing director of Al Jazeera English, told AFP, "It's a long-running saga, it just seems to keep going on and on and on".

Producer Mohamed said the postponement constitutes “another month of suffering”, adding, “I fear a guily verdict.”

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, has said that he wishes the reporters had never gone on trial.

On Sunday, US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry launched strategic talks in Cairo to repair relations.

Shoukry was asked at a joint news conference with Kerry about the jailed journalists.

"None of these journalists are held... in relation with their profession as journalists," he replied. They are detained because of their "implication in terrorist activities".

The Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 18 journalists are locked up in Egypt.

In other news, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has amended the electoral law, paving the way for preparations to hold a long-delayed parliamentary vote, according to the official gazette reported. The election will be the first for a new parliament since Morsi's ouster.