a global vigil for jailed al jazerra journalists. but egyptian president stands by the court's decision. >> translator: we will not interfere in judicial matters because the egyptian judiciary is an independent and exalted judiciary. no one inter feared with the affairs of state institutions. ♪ ♪ hello there, welcome to al jazerra live from doha. i am laura kyle. also coming up on the program two months after nigerian school girls are kidnapped. new reports of 90 abductions by

suspected boko haram fighters. a former aid in the british prime minister is convicted of phone hacking while working as editor of a tabloid newspaper. and how listening to the bugs on your mobile phone could help at that track disease. ♪ ♪ egyptian president abdul fatah el sisi says he will not interfere in the judicial system following an international outcry over the sentenc sentencf three al jazerra journal sifts. peter agrees at this sentenced to seven years in jail. mohamed a 10-year sentence. they are falsely accused of helping the outlawed muslim brotherhood. under-y egypt constitution the president has a right to issue a pardon or reduce the sentences. well, journalists around the world have been holding a silent

protest to mark the convictions. the global demonstration was held exactly 24 hours after the sentences were handed down. barnaby phillips reports from london. >> reporter: at the headquarters of one of the world's most famous broadcasters, an uncharacteristic moment of silence. and solidarity with the al jazerra team in egypt. >> the egyptian authorities are not just robbing three innocent men of their freedom, they are intimidating journalists and inhibiting free speech. >> reporter: the bench bc and other british news organizations are sending a letter to the egyptian president asking him to intervene. many bbc journalists protested because they know and respect peter greste, who worked for this organization for years. but the bbc believes that there is a wider principle at stake. that the verdict in that cairo courtroom was an attack on the freed u press. this was how the news bullpen ended on channel 4 a leading

independent station in the u.k. and this is how al jazerra journalists marked this day in our by owes aroun borrows aroun. in baghdad, in peter greste's base nigh robe and i in our doha headquarters. but how much impact will all of this have in egypt where state-controlled media says foreigners should not interfere with their country's legal process. >> there is a crack down on the freedom of expression in the country that is being cheered on by large swaths. public. that is the most dangerous thing because authorities feel that they can get way with it because they have a fair degree of popular backing for this. and that is what marks it out against mubarak, at least mubarak's policies against freedom of expression were widely reviled. these pool is as now are the same but have popular backing. and that is the most worrying thing. >> reporter: al jazerra and other journalists will carry on protesting. international condemnation is likely to grow. but so far, there is no sign

that the egyptian authorities are prepared to back down. barn if i billups, al jazerra. the prison sentences have shocked not only those accused but the people the world over. international governments have called the court process a sham, an outrage and shocking. erica wood takes a closer look at egypt's judicial system. >> reporter: if the world already had little faith in the egypt's judicial system. this verdict cemented these feelings. the sentence of seven and 10 years in prison for al jazerra's journal assists is a culmination of five months of trial. a trial which international governments, observers and governments agree followed little sense or reason. there is no retrials, only judges can hear evidence in a court. rights groups say that leaves the judicial system open to

subjective at this. so if the court fails to provide justice, can the government intervene? according to egyptian law a pardon can be granted by the president, but not until all legal proceedings, including appeals have been wound up. the comment by the president abdul fatah el sey on tuesday, there is little hope of him stretching in. >> translator: we will not interfere in judicial matters because the egyptian yeah derrek air i is an independent and exalted judiciary. no one interferes with the state of government i think tunes, no one talks about them. >> reporter: egypt's court long suffering a cripple of bag log of cases, el sisi has made assurances his government would work to review the judicial system as well as uphold media freedoms and human rights. so far little sign of it. the crack down on the supporters

of the mud lum brotherhood party is i think disputable. over the past years thousands have been arrested and convicted. last week a mass court hearing confirmed the death sentences of 183 people, including muslim brotherhood cheap. amnesty international said it was the latest example by the judiciary to crush decent. others have fallen victim to the crack down, one of egypt's most famous pro-democracy activists was sentence today 15 years in prison last month for protesting. so with little will from inside the country by the government or judicial system to offer fail trials, those caught in egypt's legal web may have to rely on pressure coming from outside and the international community. erica wood, al jazerra. let's speak now washington,

d.c. erica says in our report a presidential pardon is only possible after all legal proceedings have been carried out, including an appeal. so is there then still hope of a sisi pardon? >> there is a chance. sisi is unlikely to actually issue this pardon, especially having given this speech recently. because he's put himself out on the line, he's signaling to the judiciary that you work with me and i'll work with you. and so it's going to take a lot of international pressure for him to change his mind. but even if he does, i think that it's more likely that you'll see a commuting of these sentences after appeal. this will -- this case will more than likely go to the court of -- the highest court of

appeals in egypt, and they will review the sentences, they will review the procedures, but they are not going to be offered much in -- they are not going to be offered the entire case file. nonetheless, the -- there is clearly a politicized culture that's building in the judiciary right now. as we have mentioned, the death sentences, the sentencing of activists, there is this immense, immense desire to crush any decent against the current regime and the judiciary accomplice it's. and sadly it's really affecting rule of law in egypt and any faith in a judicial system there. >> so when sisi says that he's not going to interfere in the legal process, he's clearly trying to get us to believe that the judiciary is independent. but what extent of political interference do you think there is?

>> well, it's unclear how much direct contact the government has with the judiciary. but it is certain that among the judges that we have spoken to at the atlantic council, there is this sense that judges seem to have an idea of what the regime wants, what sisi's administration would want and what also what the public would want. and so most of the verdicts tend to lean towards what is expected as a result of the trial rather than actual legal doctrine. i mean, we have seen in this case that the prosecution hardly presented a shred of evidence for the guilt of these he defendants. and the sentencing is quite clearly just a travesty of justice. >> we have zeina the love condemnation from governments arounded world.

do you think we'll see any tangible fallout from any of those governments towards egypt? >> well, it is possible. we have see secretary kerry's surprise visit to egypt announcing a release of announce is funds there is a possibility that could be blocked there are people in the government extremely concerned about the verdict and its implication on his the right to free speech. nonetheless, foreign benefits from egypt has been fitted the u.s. in a lot of ways so it would be extremely difficult for a measure like that to pass. >> very interesting to speak to you there, thanks very much for joining us. well, one of the three jailed al jazerra journalists mohamed fahmy was visited in prison by his brother on tuesday, he says mohamed is

completely disappointed. >> it was an absolute shock to all of us. we had every reason to be optimistic going in to the court yesterday. and it was totally unexpected. we visited him this morning, and of course he is completely disappointed as we all are. but we are not losing the hope. we are going to see are the proper next steps to take. and we hope that this can be corrected and there will be some corrective measures. yesterday was a miserable day. today we are trying to gather our strength again and we managed to, you know, stay calm, when we visited mohamed today and reassuring him that this is a major mistake and that we are

sure there is a way out of it. so we just have to reassure him and pretend that things are still solvable. he calmed down a bit, but he still cannot [inaudible] with any of us. totally unexpected as i mentioned. there were several positive indications ahead of yesterday that there was reason to be optimistic. the relieve of elshamy, the fundamentally the strong defense that was presented which contested very thoroughly all the charges. and we felt that there is also some easing up from the officials here towards journalists, but yesterday it was dramatic for all of us, and [inaudible] i think the reaction was quite fitting yesterday

with, you know, the outrage from the several countries with the defendants involved and countr countries involved, other countries that are concerned for freedom of expression. so i think it was a suitable reaction. and one that has to be maintained because this is a major mistake and a verdict that is completely unfitting and unjustified. these are professional journal assists who are simply doing their job subjected till and sud should never be sentenced as terrorists. gunmen are thought to have abducted 90 people in knee year i can'nigeria.its fighters objee than 200 school girls two months ago and threatened to sale them in to slavery. andrew simons has more from

northern nigeria. >> reporter: the first reports of these massive abductions over three days, that's thursday, friday, and saturday of last week, came from the civilian j.t. f, that's a joint task force, it is effectively a vigilante grouping, but it's backed by the state. and people are paid and it is an important part of the defense system for civilians working alongside the army. but the army isn't commenting on this. and the police are not confirming that they have had a formal report. although a news agency is saying that police are investigating actively the reports. and what's supposed to have happened is this, that in a region of 60 young women were abducted, and 30 young men. probably much more than that. and there were some deaths as some people tried to resist. and as far as we can ascertain, this all happened in a series of

attacks by the insurgents. now, boko haram have a base nearby that's well known, so the fingers are being pointed at them. but there is still no official confirmation of this happening. still to come, cash from kenya arrives in u.k. legally for the final time. police are barning users of stimulants are about to be criminalized. stranded and queuing for food in northern pakistan where taliban fighters have been under attack.

we're not near a school at all! >> are they working? >> this time i'm gonna fight it. >> the system with joe burlinger only on al jazeera america the performance review. that corporate trial by fire when every slacker gets his due. and yet, there's someone around the office who hasn't had a performance review in a while. someone whose poor performance is slowing down the entire organization. i'm looking at you phone company dsl. check your speed. see how fast your internet can be. switch now and add voice and tv for $34.90.

comcast business built for business.

hello again. the top stories here on al jazerra. egypt's president abdul fatah el sisi says he will not interfere in the judicial system despite an international outcry over the jailing of three al jazerra journalists. colleagues in doha and at the bbc in london have held a silent protest to condemn the convictions. and there are reports that gunmen have kidnapped 91 villagers in north eastern nigeria near where boko haram fighters abducted more than 200 school girls two months ago. a united nations says more than a thousand people, most of them civilians, have been killed in iraq so far this month. thousands more have been displaced by this month's rebel up rising against the government. they have been seeking safety in refugees camps, including in the autonomous kurdish region.

many iraqis are still volunteering to join the army, more than 2,000 volunteers have registered with recruitment centers to fight against rebel groups. the u.s. state has held talks in northern iraq where they have renewed calls for an inclusive government. john kerry is vowing to give iraqi security forces intense support. >> the government formation challenge is the central challenge that we face. in recent days the security cooperation between the forces here in the kurdish area have been really critical to helping to draw a line with respect to isil and also to provide some support to the iraqi security forces. let's mo more now from em in kahn our correspondent in baghdad. imran, kerry's visit

underscoring the significance of the kurds in this battle against sunni rebels. >> reporter: that's absolutely right. his key message over the last two days has always been iraq needs to form a unified government and form it quickly. but let me tell you, a wrong the a lot of the politicians i was spoken to and a lot of ordinary iraqis there is disappointment at that statement. they were hoping that the americans were going to offer serious military help to be able to battle the islamic state of iraq and the levant fighters. instead the message that the u.s. secretary of state brought was a political one. and they have said to me it's not up to the u.s. to medal in our political affairs, this is the time that we really need their help. we have been asking for their help for a very long time. and this is the time that they should have stepped up to the plate. now, that hasn't happened. what the u.s. wants is this unity government's reform and then they'll take a look at exactly what they can do to help. now, while all this is going "o" of course the islamic state of iraq and levant and other sunni

rebels are making gains in various parts of the country. and not only that, not only are they making military gains, but the more time they are given, they are making civilian gains as well with the populations there by running the towns that they have taken over by being -- by having services put back in to those towns. that's winning over the local population there it. let's take a look at some of the things that the islamic state of eye rant and levant and other sunni rebels are doing. this is northwestern iraq. these pictures take own monday show the rebels are running the affairs of the town. by providing services, the rebels are hoping they can get local people to couldn't and consolidate their hold. >> translator: praise to god everything is normal now in terms of social life and security. things are much better now in comparison to how they used to be under the control of those tyrants. >> reporter: he is a political analyst who says the rebels are acting in a tactical manner.

>> translator: it did surprise people in the high command, they were surprised by the speed of the attack. and also by the civic services and management of the towns, the isil provided. >> reporter: but it's not just about providing services. other key tactic is taking overboarder posts. they have taken overboarder post on his the borders with jordan and with syria. and that's key for them. from syria it allows them to bring in enforcements back in to iraq and also the military equipment that they have captured, hum fees and howitzers, they are able to take those from iraq back in to syria. on the jordanian side, you can see there is little traffic which suggests the rebels have control of the crossing. have. >> translator: the army is retreating from the border and the whole situation is unstable. >> reporter: what has surprised many here in iraq is not just the speed in which the rebels have taken over towns, but the strategic thinking that's come

with it. military analysts say that the rebels are using the experience they have gained in syria and iraq to their advantage. and that's why they are proving to be a formidably enemy to iraq's security forces. so not only are all of those tactics going on where the islamic state of iraq and levant and other sunni rebels are solidifying their position, but there is a media war going on for control of information. and at the center of is the oil refinery. iraq's biggest. the government keeps saying that they have control. in the last couple of hours even the deputy prime minister for energy affairs has commented saying we are in control. yet isil insists that they are the ones in control of that oil refinery. so we have a situation now where isil are are in control of certain towns and they are providing services there. and the iraqi government are feeling under pressure, so much so that they are contributing directly the statements coming out, not only from the islamic state of a rack and levant and other sunni rebels but independence journalists feeding

us information as well so we have this information war going on and likely the longer this crisis goes on for in iraq, the more convoluted and more confusing the information we are getting will be. >> okay, imran, thanks very much for keeping across it all for us live there from baghdad. a car bomb has exploded in the syrian city of homs killing at least two people. the blast was in the home of mostly the minority sect. the british mime minister's former media adviser is facing a prison sentence after being found guilty of pack khabibulin being beinhacking phones.david r employing him. rebecca brooks was acquitted of all charges. from london samier ma grilling or wood reports. >> reporter: the phone hacking scandal destroyed careers and a famous british newspaper to say

nothing of the pain caused to its victims according to many it has further undermined public faith in judgeis journalism. >> phone hacking involved only a small section of the president but obviously news of the world, somehow the lunatics managed to be put in charge of the asylum and it became an industrial scale electronic fish being expedition. >> reporter: members of the royal family, celebrities even the inning 60 victims of crime, everyone was fair game. once the full skate scandal emerged driven by public outrage the politicians were forced to establish an official inquiry in to how best to control the excesses of the press. it recommended new self regulation backed by law. an element so far rejected by prime minister david cameron. then there was the apparent coziness between those in power and those tasked withholding them accountable. andy coal son became david cameron's press adviser, rebecca brooks was a regular in his social circle and tony blair's.

shouldn't editor and prime minister ever be so chummy? >> one of the defendants in this trial was the prime minister's press secretary. that's about as close an intimate relationship as you can possibly get. one has to ask questions about how that was allowed to happen. and why the warnings weren't heeded. because there were warnings. >> reporter: and what of the relationship between journalists and the police. why were they initially so reluctant to investigation phone hacking when the first case emerged? anything to do with their close relationship with journalists in some newspapers? the public have drawn their own conclusions. the aftermath of this case might at least lead to a greater degree of separation between journalists, politicians, and the police. this episode was always bound to seek calls for tighter he instructions on the press from some. warnings of knee jerk over reaction from others. but defenders of the freedom of the president we mind us that bad though this episode undoubtedly was, it was

uncovered not by the police, not by parliament, but by journalists working for another newspaper. simon mcgregor wood, al jazerra, london. a sudanese woman has been rearrested just hours after being freed from death row. she was ceased after trying to board a plane in khartoum. she was sentenced to death last month for converting to christianity t from muslim. british police could arrest anyone who chooses to use the still hasn't khat which has been legal until now. lawrence lee reports from london on how the change in the law is affecting farmers in kenya. >> reporter: this is the last ever legal shipment of khat to arrive in the u.k. fresh off the plane from kenya and members of london's somalia community want to stock up. usually it sales for around $100 a box. the ban means it's been selling for two and a half times that.

the police arrived to remind people come tuesday, even chewing on khat. let alone trading it, will be a criminal offense. evidently many here still find that w bewildering and unfair. the police say they'll try to apply the law gently, at least to begin with. >> it's very softly, softly approach at the moment. everything we are going to do is being proportioned out. that's why i am down here now advising pimas of tomorrow it will be illegal. we won't be arresting we will be warning much as we do with canopies. >> reporter: the criminalization is argued on the mixture of health and social grounds that overuse is bad for you and makes you inert. in banning it the british government went against the advice of medical officers whose opinion is a source. still campaigners against khat say they are delighted. >> with with regards to we don't drink alcohol, we chew khat. i can understand where they are coming from. but i think [inaudible] khat

academic. for them it's a long time for their own benefit. >> reporter: the other argument is that khat funds terrorism in somalia. both in cain i can't and london people told us that that is both insulting and illogical. >> does anybody here look like they can finance el shabob. everybody is fight to go just be themselves. >> radicals are now happy because they want everybody to turn to the mosque. they don't people to staying in the streets and doing their business, they don't want that. >> reporter: so even though the authorities suggest that khat might be funding terrorism, in fact, you think you got it up side down. >> upside down. >> reporter: it's the other way around? >> it's another way around. >> reporter: yet despite el shabob's opposition to this natural drug, london's khat traders now say the ban will force them to leave london and return to so mole somalia. >> there are no jobs here, the only job that we had was khat so

we have to go back. >> reporter: the likelihood is that khat use will be driven underground. what's always been seen as a socially acceptable tradition for london somalis is now a criminal defense. lawrence lee, al jazerra, london. for all the latest news check out -. hi, i am lisa fletcher and you are in "the stream." today are men the oppressed gender? we take you inside a world where american men believe they are the widely disadvantaged sex. their claims, like rape is used as a scam, fuel controversy. yet their movement is growing. and later, why fed up dads are mobilizing across the country demanding their right to be in their child's life. hear why they believe courts and the child custody system are stacked against them. ♪