Journalist Peter Greste 'elated' to return to Australia

Sydney, Feb 4 (IANS/EFE) Australian journalist Peter Greste, who was deported from Egypt after spending 400 days behind bars, said Wednesday at the Larnaca airport in Cyprus that he was "elated" to be returning home, the local media reported.

In brief comments to the Australian channel ABC, Greste also expressed his concern for his colleagues from the Al Jazeera English television channel who remain imprisoned in Egypt, saying that the campaign to free them must continue.

Greste, who is scheduled to arrive in Brisbane Wednesday afternoon, was arrested in December 2013 together with Canadian-Egyptian Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian national Baher Mohamed at a hotel in Cairo.

In June, the three journalists were sentenced to seven to 10 years in prison for damaging the image of Egypt and collaborating with the Muslim Brotherhood Islamist political party.

Last month, an Egyptian court ordered a retrial for the three men.

On Sunday, Greste was deported to Cyprus leaving behind his two colleagues.

Fahmy could soon be deported to Canada after he renounced his Egyptian citizenship.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Tuesday to thank him for his role in Greste's release.

--IANS/EFE

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