Prime Minister Tony Abbott has spoken with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi about the fate of journalist Peter Greste, the Australian awaiting a verdict in his trial on terrorism charges for allegedly supporting the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in his reports for the Al Jazeera network.

The Cairo court is expected to rule on the case today.  Prosecutors have demanded the maximum penalty, at least 15 years for Peter Greste and 25 years for his two Egyptian coworkers and codefendants.  All three men pleaded not guilty.

“I did make the point that as an Australian journalist, Peter Greste, would not have been supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, he would have simply been reporting on the Muslim Brotherhood,” Abbott said, there’s only so much he could do in the situation.

“In the end, it is up to the Egyptian justice system to do its job,” Abbott said, adding that he is confident that al-Sisi understands Australia’s position on the case.