(6 Oct 2013) An Egyptian military court released an award-winning journalist on Saturday after giving him a six-month suspended sentence for endangering national security by spreading false information in his coverage of operations against Islamic militants in the Sinai Peninsula, a security official and a lawyer said.
Ahmed Abu-Draa's lawyer called the lighter sentence an attempt to defuse criticism over the 38-year-old journalist's detention while still serving as a warning against challenging the military.
The case against Ahmed Abu-Draa, who was arrested on September 4, drew outrage from fellow journalists and rights groups accusing the army of undermining freedom of expression and continuing to refer civilians to military tribunals, despite a campaign to stop the practice.
Colleagues said Abu-Draa's trial was an attempt to silence independent reporting from the flashpoint area, which sits on the border with Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Few journalists have direct access to what is happening in Sinai because of security concerns, forcing many to rely on statement by officials.
Abu-Draa, who lives in Sinai and works as a freelance journalist for multiple Egyptian and foreign newspapers and television channels, had disputed the military's claims that no civilians were hit in an intensified operation against rising militant attacks in the Sinai.
The military said it was only targeting homes of militants and tunnels used for smuggling goods to Gaza, but the journalist reported that civilian homes were hit and a mosque was damaged.
Abu-Draa appeared relieved on Sunday and professed his gratitude over his release.
"All of my coverage in Sinai was with the help of the military and if I did make a mistake towards the military, it was unintentional. I did not mean to challenge the military," Abu-Draa said in Ismailia, a Suez Canal city where he was held.
Abu-Draa noted his suspension runs for three years, meaning that if he commits another offence in this period, he would be punished for both.
His lawyer Negad el-Borai said Abu-Draa had been held in solitary confinement in a military prison.
In addition to the suspended sentence, the journalist was fined 30 US dollars for entering a military zone without a permit.
The court dropped charges of broadcasting news that undermined Egypt's reputation abroad, and filming strategic areas without a permit, according to el-Borai.
A security official said an intelligence report presented to the court had stated that Abu-Draa had acted with "good intentions."
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media

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