Foreign Correspondent: July 28 / Aug 4

Tomorrow night, for the first time, journalist Peter Greste reports his own story of 400 days in an Egyptian jail, on Foreign Correspondent.

This is the first of a 2 part special on ABC, split both before and after a re-trial verdict for his Al Jazeera colleagues.

For foreign correspondent Peter Greste, it was meant to be a routine assignment – a three week stint covering political unrest in Cairo. It spiraled into a 400 day prison ordeal, with Greste and two Al Jazeera colleagues accused of helping terrorists and spreading “false news”.

The Al Jazeera case was internationally derided and condemned as a gross miscarriage of justice – “chilling, draconian… deeply disturbing,” in the words of the US Secretary of State.

It’s been six months since Greste was deported from jail in Egypt – and 18 months since he reported a story. But now he’s finally back on the job.

In a two-part Foreign Correspondent special, Greste tells of his own extraordinary journey: from the mind numbing captivity of a Cairo hell-hole to the blast of freedom on a windswept Queensland beach.

“I sat down on the floor and I just remember bursting into tears, tears running down my face.”

– Greste after the Cairo court sentenced him to seven years in jail

Greste tells how he and his colleagues fought to keep their spirits alive – making murals from scrap tin foil, scribbling long letters on toilet paper to be smuggled out to loved ones; and always dreaming of release.

“I want that moment of explosive joy, of happiness, of a crowd… because after all of this time you want it to end with a big bang.”

– Greste heading home

“I sometimes understate things but I daresay ‘welcome home’ would not be out of place.”

– Greste’s father Juris on the homecoming

Peter Greste’s parents and brothers reveal their torment during his incarceration – and their joy and relief on news of his deportation. His Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed – who are both free on bail – also describe their time in captivity.

Their re-trial is heading towards its climax. The verdict – which could see Greste sentenced in absentia and Fahmy and Baher thrown back into prison – is due on Thursday, July 30.

Part one of Peter Greste: My Fight for Freedom at 8 pm on Tuesday July 28, two days ahead of the scheduled verdict.
Part two will air at 8pm on Tuesday, August 4 – after the verdict.