Taysir Alluni Sentenced to 7 Years in Jail

A Spanish judge sentenced Al-Jazeera's correspondent Taysir Alluni to seven years in prison for what they called "collaborating with al-Qaida".

Alluni, who has insisted on his innocence throughout Europe's biggest al-Qaida trial, interviewed the group's leader Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan weeks after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States.

Accused of acting as a financial courier to the group while in Afghanistan, Alluni, who had faced a maximum nine-year term, said in testimony he was only doing his job as a journalist.

A spokesman for the Arab Human Rights Committee confirmed that heavy political pressures were imposed on the court to issue such a sentence and said "There is no single evidence that may lead to such a sentence."

I think this is totally absurd!
The guy was doing his job as a good journalist who got a chance to interview one of the hottest personalities on earth at that time.
Where is the freedom of press that the West pride themselves of?
Would we have seen the same sentence given out against Christian Amanpour from CNN for example?! I really doubt it!!

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