Watchdog

A court in Cairo has jailed three Al-Jazeera journalists for seven years each for distorting the news and collaborating with the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

Australian Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Muhammad Fadel Fahmy, and producer Baher Muhammad of Al-Jazeera English were among 20 defendants in a trial that has triggered international outrage amid fears of growing media restrictions in Egypt.

The verdict brought international condemnation.

The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera condemned the verdicts against its staff as "unjust."

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters, "We're obviously shocked, dismayed, really bewildered by the decision of the court in Egypt."

The White House said the rulings were the latest in a series of prosecutions "that are fundamentally incompatible with the basic precepts of human rights and democratic governance."

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "appalled" and his office summoned Egypt's ambassador to protest the verdicts.

Based on reporting by AFP and dpa

The health of imprisoned Kazakh dissident poet Aron Atabek has reportedly deteriorated since prison authorities placed him in solitary confinement almost one month ago.

Atabek details his condition in a letter smuggled out of his penitentiary in the northern Pavlodar region this week.

Atabek told friends and relatives that one of legs, which was broken some time ago by prison guards, is now swollen and painful.

Atabek's wife, Zhaina Aidarkhan, told RFE/RL on June 20 that her husband was transferred to solitary confinement on May 21 for unknown reasons.

Prison officials refused to comment.

Atabek, 60, was sentenced to 18 years in jail in 2007 for his role in organizing mass protests that resulted in the death of a police officer.

Atabek has maintained his innocence. He rejected a government pardon in 2012 if he would admit his guilt.