Two Al Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt since 2013 on charges of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood go on trial again Thursday, after an appeals court last month threw out their original convictions.

The retrial in Cairo involves Mohammed Fahmy, who was a dual citizen of Canada and Egypt before giving up his Egyptian citizenship this month, and Egyptian Baher Mohammed.

They were arrested along with a third colleague, Australian Peter Greste, who was released on February 1 and sent back to Australia.

Fahmy was expected to be released after giving up his citizenship, with Canada’s foreign minister saying last week his release was “imminent.” But he remains in custody, and Fahmy’s family said the new trial is their “worst nightmare.”

Greste and Fahmy were originally given seven-year sentences, while Mohammed got 10 years. Egypt’s Court of Cassation ruled last month that prosecutors had not provided evidence showing they aided the Brotherhood, which has been subject to a massive crackdown since former President Mohammed Morsi was forced from office in July 2013.

Al Jazeera has insisted the three men did nothing wrong and demanded they be exonerated.
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