Won't interfere in Al jazeera journalists' case, says Sisi

Cairo, June 24 (IANS) Egypt's newly elected President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Tuesday said that he would not interfere with judicial verdicts handing down prison sentences to three Al Jazeera journalists, media reported.

Sisi said Egyptian authorities would respect the independence of the judiciary, Al Jazeera reported.

An Egyptian court Monday sentenced three Al Jazeera journalists -- Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed -- to seven years in prison.

Greste and Fahmy were sentenced to seven years in prison while Baher Mohamed was sentenced to an additional three years for possessing arms.

The three journalists were arrested in December last year in Cairo as they covered the aftermath of former president Mohamed Morsi's ouster last July.

The prosecution said Greste, Al Jazeera's east Africa correspondent, and his Egypt bureau colleagues aided the Brotherhood and produced false news reports on the situation in Egypt.

"We will not interfere in judicial rulings," Sisi said.

"We must respect judicial rulings and not criticise them even if others do not understand this," Sisi added.