Egyptian prosecutors are demanding the maximum jail terms for all 20 defendants in the trial of al-Jazeera journalists accused of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.  Four foreigners, including Aussie Peter Greste, face 15 years in prison, and the 16 Egyptians could be sentenced to 25 years in prison.

“We request that the court, without compassion or mercy, apply the maximum penalty for the abominable crimes they have committed,” said prosecutor Mohamed Barakat who added that, “Mercy for such (people) will bring the entire society close to darkness.”

The interim authorities put in place last year by president-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi cracked down harshly on journalists.  The defendants are accused of trying to make Egypt look bad, and of aiding the banned Muslim Brotherhood, by spreading so-called “false news” about the Islamists’ protests against the ouster of Mohamman Morsi from the presidency.  Greste and the others say they are innocent. 

The trial is going on, even though prosecution witnesses last week admitted that they had no idea if Greste’s reports had endangered national security, or if their equipment was unlicensed.  That’s in complete contradiction with the arguments they had made in writing that led to the charges.