Egypt frees four-member Al Jazeera team, but three more remain in custody

Egyptian authorities have freed a four-member team of Al Jazeera journalists after holding them in detention for five days without charge.

Correspondent Wayne Hay, cameraman Adil Bradlow and producers Russ Finn and Mohammed Baher were freed on Sunday afternoon. They were arrested on Tuesday while covering events in Cairo.

Three other Al Jazeera journalists are still being held in Egypt: Shihab Elddin Shaarawi, an executive producer with Al Jazeera Mubasher, was arrested on Friday morning. Egyptian authorities on Sunday confirmed he had been arrested after initially denying that they were holding him.

Another Al Jazeera correspondent, Abdullah al-Shami, has been held in Egypt since Aug. 14, while Mohamed Badr, a cameraman for Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr, has been in detention for more than a month.

The arrests came amid a campaign against the network, during which its offices in Egypt were raided and equipment seized by security forces.

Reporters Without Borders, the media rights group, has denounced the "growing hostility" towards journalists in Egypt. 

Al Jazeera has urged the Egyptian authorities to release its journalists unconditionally and return the seized equipment.

Al Jazeera