Retrial decision holds hope for Greste
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR PETER GRESTE:
THE DECISION
Egypt's Court of Cassation has ordered a retrial for Peter Greste and his two Al Jazeera colleagues, Canadian-Egyptian Mohammed Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohammed. The trio was not granted bail.
WHAT COULD HAPPEN NOW
* Retrial: The trio could be forced to wait in jail for a second trial, having already served more than a year in custody. Defence lawyers believe this could happen within a month.
* Deportation: Greste's lawyer has applied for him to be deported to Australia to face legal proceedings. Deportation is also an option for Fahmy, but Baher Mohammed is Egyptian, so his hopes are centred squarely on a retrial. In November, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi signed a decree allowing for the extradition of foreigners charged with a crime or sentenced in Egypt.
* Pardon, clemency: In November, President al-Sisi said a pardon for the three Al Jazeera journalists was "under study". Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he won't be able to speak to the Egyptian president about clemency until appeal avenues are exhausted.
WHAT THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS
* Foreign Minister Julie Bishop believes the latest decision is cause for optimism since Greste is now back in the position of an accused rather than convicted person. "That opens up a whole raft of new options for Peter and his family," she said.
WHAT GRESTE'S FAMILY SAY
* Lois Greste, Peter's mother, was initially shocked and dismayed because the family had hoped "it would all be over and done with", but she also acknowledged it was a good outcome.
* Juris Greste, Peter's father, admits the result was always on the cards, but says they were expecting more positive news. The couple has learnt not to expect anything throughout the year-long ordeal, he says.
* Michael Greste, Peter's brother, says the development is encouraging in light of al-Sisi's previous comments that he wished the journalists had been deported. "We believe that there is now a window of opportunity for the Egyptian president to exercise his presidential power under the decree," he said on Friday.
* Andrew Greste, Peter's other brother, warned the new decree represented uncharted waters. "We've got to be hopeful. It's a new decree and there's very little understood about it, there's very little regulation, there's no precedent ... I'd like to think the decree was enacted to be used," he said on Friday.
THE BACKGROUND
December 29, 2013: Greste and his two colleagues are arrested for broadcasting false news and supporting the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.
February 2014: Greste is refused bail.
March 2014: The trio make a direct request to a judge to be freed.
June 2014: Greste is found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison. Fahmy receives the same sentence, while Mohammed receives a 10-year sentence. The result triggers international outrage and fuels debate about freedom of the press.
