>> on "america tonight" - innocence lost. thousands of migrant kids trapped in a cross-boarder debate over what to do with them. >> it's painful. the situation of immigration. that's why we are very interested in trying to solve the problem. lori jane gliha brings an interview with el salvador's ambassador to the united states on what his country needs to bring its children home. also - voices silent, raising an uproar. international backlash to the

harsh sentences facing our al jazeera colleagues, and the right to free speech and free journalism - why it matters to all of us everyone wants to see the dolphi dolphins, so why would the national aquarium look at getting rid of the dolphins. >> are others thinking of doing the same thing? >> i'm not sure of others, they may. adam may with a look at the sea creatures most like us and a question - do they really want to live among us? good evening. thanks for joining us. i'm joie chen. a terrifying journey of tens of

thousands of migrant children desperate to find families in the north now scarily in the middle of a multinational cross-boarder debate. officials are talking about thou keep them coming in and keep them home e on the other side --. on the other side of the border there are questions on how to change the children. lori jane gliha has insight from the ambassador of el salvador about the challenges ahead. >> the principal reasons they are leaving their countries is the conditions this their countries. it is really bad. it has to be really bad for a parent to want to part company with his or her own 7-year-old. >> reporter: in front of the house committee on homeland securitiy. secretary jay johnson lay out a 14-point plan to curb the flow of migrant children from central america into the united states. in the past two months 9,000 unaccompanied minors entered

most from hon dur aurks gata halla and el salvador brk honduras, guatemala and el salvador. >> i have sent a letter highlighting the dangers of the journey, and there are no free passes. >> reporter: he pledged to beef up resources and staff to manage incoming children and increased transportation to move them. the department of homeland security is expanding processing and housing facilities. for some members of congress the plan is coming too late, and doesn't go far enough. >> we have a crisis, and i don't see the administration doing anything about it. i understand the humanitarian basis for that. we need to send a signal to other countries that it will not work. you can't send the children up here. >> you're asking if i can take an unaccompanied child, turn them around on the border and send them back. >> reporter: unlike children

from mexico, u.s. law prevents central american children being deported. they must be taken into custody and put in a temporary shelter. the kids make their way through the courts during deportation proceedings. >> reaction is okay. let's send them back. it doesn't make sense at all. you send them back to tomorrow, and three days after, or four days, or a week after, they try to enter. >> el salvador's ambassador to the united states told "america tonight" the u.s. recently suggested chartering planes to send unaccompanied minors back to el salvador. what do you think of a new flight sending children to el salvador? >> any flight, i don't like it. a flight with the party is something that somebody who tried to come to this country for a better life that failed. those are the people from my country, right.

it is painful. the whom situation of immigration. >> he calls the increase in children crossing the border a revolution caused by a variety of factors, saying the entire u.s. immigration system needs an overhaul. ize country, he -- his country, he insists, is working on the issue. >> we try to solve our problem of insecurity, and a problem of lack of opportunity for our people, especially the young people. el salvador is working to counter the rumours spread by smugglers that, this is a good time to come to the u.s. >> what we are doing now, that they are not going to be covered by any reform of the migration system. and if they enter the united states, there's no insurance at all that they could regularise the situation. >> reporter: in a 2013 campaign the government targeted a few

hundred teens, distributing posters and cartoons like these. they say it deterred many. they hope to launch another when they have the funds. they are doing what they can to address a problem. >> what ves would you give to a child who is considering coming into the united states in el salvador. >> i will tell them the truth. this is the law, whether we like it or not. this is where we tell our people, those are the facts. if you died to do, up to you. i cannot fell you don't go -- tell you don't go. i tell the parents. "america tonight"'s lori jane gliha back here with us. you talked to the ambassador. what does el salvador think of the proposal. >> el salvador is a country that will receive $25 million from the united states, over the next

five years, towards crime prevention and developing 77 youth center-type programs to deter them from crimes. any money is welcome. he'll wonder when it will come and be used for educational projects in the peace to educate what the process of migration entails. he said because we are getting this money don't expect them to solve all the problems. we are getting a first-hand look at conditions of migrant children in custody. texas congressman is here with us from capitol hill. thank you for being with us. you went down to see the facility yourself where the kids are being held. can you describe the conditions there? >> first of all, i mean, when you see the kids that had been detained, it's a difficult situation because you see them, they are tired, hungry, they are being taken care of. they walk in.

i think border patrol is doing the best they can. there was an agreement in 1987. a court settlement that talks about how to take care of the kids. i think they are trying to do the best under the circumstances. >> but they are crowded in there. we have seen from the pictures that you see, that the kids are crowded in there, and essentially sleeping huddled toot -- huddled together. >> the facilities were built for a certain number of folks. the weight of humanity coming this is a large number. border control - it's the best they do under the sirkets, overwhelmed by large numbers. let me give you a quick number. just last month that would have worked down to brownsville. 48,000 were detained by border patrol. >> 48,000 - 9700 were children

with no parent. to show you the business that the drug cartels and smuggling organizations are doing, if you get 48,000 times an average 5,000 per individual that the smugglers charge, that's 240 million that the bad guys did, at least from a parcel down to brownsville. given the circumstances, knowing about the coyotes and the circumstances this the children come from, and the holing facilities -- holding facilities that they are being kept in, what is the best situation - is it best to move them rapidly back or are they better off staying in the shelter they have, whatever it is, here? >> let's look at two areas where the kids face danger. the major danger is the trip. imagine the economic desperation a parent or somebody has to send their kids on let's say 1, 800 up to the south texas borders.

imagine the dangers they face in the hands of the coy oatas. that's where the dangers is -- coyotes, that's where the danger is. border patrol has 72 hours, ice takes them, the office of refugees takes care of them. they are doing a good job. the large number is something we have to understand the magnitude of the large numbers making that challenging. >> and a fear those children must feel. thank you for being with us, texas congressman. on another group of children at rick, there are reports back brisk, there are reports at nige that 90 children, girls and boys, have been abducted last week, and the girls taken in april are still captive. we have the story of some zirls who escaped -- girls who escaped

and what some in the community are doing to fight boko haram themselves. >> they are not well armed, they have little training, but this is a vigilante force growing in size and determination to defend the capital of borneo from michelle bachmann attacks - buy -- from boko haram adacks - by -- attacks, by night and day. tens of thousands of young men are joining missions with the nigerian army, backed by borno state, and provided with equipment. some are paid wages. >> we know every one of them. the moment we see them, we follow them. if we die - we are prepared for that. >> troops are easy to find. mike joined a year ago after boko haram attacked his district. he lives in old mad ugary, a deprived part of the city where the young has little. it's in areas of abject poverty

that boko haram survived. this is a place where mohammed and many like him maintain a vigilance for anything suspicious. his family is traumatised by the attack, in which boko haram shot dead seven people, including mohammed's father and three younger brothers. >> they tried to kill my grandfather. they couldn't make it. so many people in our area. >> with boko haram attacks continuing the roll of vigilantes is not fobzed on this job. many are tasked with duetize - spying on people who may be -- duties, spying on people who may be attackers. >> reporter: this is a war. there's a siege-like mentality because boko haram are commanding the ground outside the city, killing at will, whenever, wherever they want. >> and not far away more than

4,000 escaped from attacks on surrounding villagers. seeking shelter where they can find it. among them ali bukar and his family. two weeks ago boko haram made him waf as they shot -- watch as they shot his 17-year-old dead, and 47 others. >> i saw it with my own eyes. i have to accept it as god's will. i'm helpless. i can't do anything. i'm poor and have no way of fighting them. >> reporter: this vigilante force is raising alarm among the groups. these are desperate times. these are the school girls that managed to avoid capture by boko haram fighters. their classmates are missing. and the pain shows. somehow, they are preparing for their final exams. their teachers believe talking

about what happens helps. >> we have heard the sound of guns. we ran quickly out of the room. their school principle is here. she has lost count of a number of appeals for the release of her pupils. she is not giving up. >> i plead with them. this idea, daughterers, granddaughters - they should do something for this innocent girls and release them. >> reporter: all the girls have been brought to the state capital not just for the continued education, but also for better security. >> the teachers say they are doing well relaxing and concentrating on studies, despite the fact that they are away from home and don't know what's happened to their classroom friend. >> those with friends missing are getting more distressed by the day. >> it's painful that we are

separated together with that. what i'm asking is to help us to find our mates. for us, please. we are asking to help us, please. but no one has a positive answer. more than two months after their friend went missing and the state government is trying to get schooling back to normal. >> we cannot resume. we relocate the student to where it is safer and continue with normal schooling. >> there can be nothing normal for the school girls. only the safe return of their friends will make it possible. after a break on "america tonight", a child's life, future, dreams changed with just one word. >> i heard, but i didn't understand that it meant i would

die in prison. >> he was onward 14. should children be sentenced to life in prison? later in our programme - born to be wild. what to do with dowl fence on -- dolphins on display. a popular attraction at any aquarium. "america tonight"'s adam may asks - do they belong here?

already this hour we talked about children at risk. we consider crime, punishment and what is appropriate for juvenile convicts. two years ago in a landmark decision the supreme court ruled that no juvenile can be sentenced to mandatory life without parole. for those locked up before the miller versus alabama ruling, should is apply to them. 2,000 prisoners nationwide

received mandatory life sentences as juveniles. we look at a young man waiting for a second chance. >> reporter: in october 1, 9903, members of chicago's gangster disciples set out to settle a score. the youngest, two months past his 14th birthday was adelfo davis. >> i hear a lot of people saying gangs, gangs, gangs. my destiny was written when i was born into a chaotic family. born into it, as many others are born into it, it's like our life is written for us. >> in the turf war that followed, two rival gang members were shod dead. it was never -- shot dead. it was never proven that davis fired a gun, he was tried as an adult. the law was clear and uncompromising. if you are part of a group that commits a murder, you are a murderer. the sentencing rules were as

unforgiving. the double homicide required the judge to impose harsh sentences. life without the possibility of parole. the 14-year-old boy was sentenced to life in prison. [ clapping ] >> the message today to every criminal gang preying on the innocent is clear - we mean to put you out of business, to break the backs of your organization, to put you away for a long time. >> reporter: the '90s in chicago drug wars overcheaped the city and stuff on crime thrived. adelfo davis's case barely caused a ripple. >> i heard the life but i didn't understand that meant i would die in prison. >> 23 years after the night of violence that put him away davis is behind bars at maximum community stateville correctional center in crestville illinois. his case is at the center of a

nation-wide movement to rethink the juvenile justice system and write old wrongs. >> i see people walk out. i'll always have hope that my day will come. >> in the summer of 2012, davis found a new reason for hope, in miller re alabama, the u.s. supreme court issued a landmark ruling: the question was not whether kids could be locked up for life, that, according to the supreme court is per missable. the question was whether it was mandatory, or whether judges and juries should be allowed to consider mitigating factors like a person's role in a crime or a person's upbringing. patricia's son works for the center or juvenile law and policy and is adelfo's attorney. >> at the time of the sentence no court considered the use or

the characteristics that come with youth, the facts of the pacific role that they play in the offense. >> on this point the u.s. supreme court was clear - a child's circumstances matter, and it's cruel and unusual punishment to impose mandatory life sentences on them. >> the question is whether is applies retroactively, to all the old cases. >> reporter: adolfo's fate is in the hands of the illinois court, where he's making the case that it does apply to old cases. if he's success. he will open the door for 100 other cases in the united states. >> a couple of courts come down on the side of retro activity, and on the side that miller is not retroactive. this is an issue about how much we want to undo wrongs that we did in the 1990s. >> there used to be a vibrant

community. >> father kelly met adolfo davis at 14, barely 5 feet tall and 100 pound. what was your first impression? do you remember? >> scared. he was a strong little guy. one on one there was a level of fear of what this all mental. >> reporter: kelly learnt of his troubled home life, ab sent fath scperks drug-addicted -- father, and drug-addicted home life. his grandmother was the caregiver. between a sick son, disabled husband - she struggled to provide supervision. >> my grandmother took care of me and everyone else. she couldn't keep an eye on me, and that led me to the streets. >> reporter: davis's first brush with the law came when he was 9 years old. >> i was hungry and saw a girl come out the store with a bag.

i snatched the bag. she held on to the bag. i picked up the money and stamps. i took it and brought school. >> desperate people do desperate things. there was chaos, there wasn't food. so he started to find it on the outside. little by little he hung out with older guys in the gang and took care of them, because he was a likeable kid. >> they gave me a roof, i was eating. i was getting $350 per week for looking out for the police. this was like heavy ebb for me. >> davis's life was documented by the children and family services. the juvenile court acknowledged he had fallen through the cracks of child welfare. that didn't stop him being sent to adult court.

prosecutors argued that davis could have stood there with his hands in his pockets and he'd still be guilty of home invasion and first degree murder. in 1993 a jury found davis guilty of double murder. no matter the sushes, the court -- circumstances, the court was required to give him a mandatory life sentence. >> how long did it take to process? >> not until i went to the correctional center. >> we are not talking days. >> years. i was in my 20. >> reporter: davis stuck to his gang in prison. it saw him sent to a different prison, and four years in isolation. >> reality came in. my life hit me like bang.

>> reporter: what happened? >> i was able to think. i was able to clear my head of all the false raelties that i -- realities that i had been saying. >> reporter: jill stevens was adelfo's therapist. of all the prisoners she counselled, she said something about adolfo stood out. >> he had a positive, good seeming core, despite the horrible background and upbringing. i think most people would feel you would need to be a pretty hinnous remorseless person -- hin es remorseless person to be locked up for your life without a chance to go to a parole board. it boggles my mind that anyone would use illinois's limited resources to keep adelfo davis in prison. >> reporter: what is your biggest fear? >> dying in prison.

>> why? >> because i don't want this to be the last day i see. this is a whole beautiful world out there, and here is like a nightmare. >> there's no way you can reopen the cases for resentencing. you cannot recreate due process of law to cases that are decades old. >> many victims take a stand against the notion that old cases could be reopened. jennifer jenkins led the victims' rights cases. her pregnant sister and brother-in-law were murdered by a juvenile. she said the thought of their case being reopened was terrifying. >> i was traumatised bit the fear of this offender being released and facing him again. going through two years of the

legal proceedings was devastatingly overwhelmingly difficult. >> i think the crime, the death of two people is horrific. my heart goes tout those families -- out to those families. all the punishment of adele foe davis will not help the families. that's the punive system we are part of. >> the illinois supreme court will decide adele foe's fate. he's served 23 years in prison. with time off for good behaviour, he could be resentenced and released next year. what is the first thing you would want to do if you get out? >> go to disneyland. i'm serious. i want to be a kid. i want to do things that i was not able to do. >> reporter: you think about going to disneyland. >> i want to do things like that, and see things, the things

i was going - i was going as a kid, but i was going to steal. i didn't pay attention. now i want to go and take in the things that i missed. >> what do you think it will be like if you do get out and adjusted the outside. >> it's scary. because this is like - you know how you've never been to prison, so when you're out there and you don't want to go to prison. all the terror is reverse for me. like this is all i know. >> if he is released, adolfo davis will walk into a world that is transformed, and in others the same. the poverty rate in washington park where davis grew up was among the highest in the nation in 1990, and remains so today. the streets are filled with hungry kids doing desperate

things. "america tonight"s christoph tells us in march a new snnlsing hearing was made, but issued a stay leaving him in limbo while the state decides whether to challenge the decision. the final decision could be meenths away. this week "the system" with joe belinger looks at mandatory sentences for juvenile killers - life out parole. coming up next - biting off more trouble. a soccer superstar and what looks like a stunning attack. looking ahead on "america tonight". doctor heal thyself. hidden risks and therapy to save

them. thursday on "america tonight".vé

a snapshot of stories making headlines - britain's tabloid phone scandal. "news of the world"'s rebecca brooks was acquitted.

andy coulson was found guilty of one charge of conspiracy. they hacked the phone of a girl later found to be murdered. mismanaged landing, shutting off equipment that could have saved the flight and a boeing 777 struck a seawall, burst into flames, 3 passengers decide. 200 injured. is it a breakthrough in the crisis in ukraine. vladimir putin asked parliament to voke a power to send troops into ukraine to protect russian speakers. vladimir putin urged ukraine to extend a ceasefire. sharp tensions on another world stage - a star player biting off trouble interesting d the world cup match against italy. lewis suarez apparently taking a

bite out of a player in the 79th minute. it parse that swor es -- appears that suarez dug in his teeth. elcanon ball got the nickname for a reason - it's not the first time. a senior editor joins us. is there a question what happened here is not an accident? >> i think because of this player's specific history and the fact this it happened twice before, if it had been any other player it would have been a question because it would have been "what is this, we have never witnessed this before", he's done it twice before, you see the tape and as hard not to -- tape and it's hard no to say it's what happened. >> he digs his death in and seems to cover up his mouth. >> he digs his face into georgiou chilini's soldier, heel

bows it off. grabs his face, pretending it's the elbow, but it these have been that bite. we noted he ha two previous incidents in europe. >> yes. after that there was strong punishments. >> the first was in 2011. he was in the dutch league. the ref did not see it. they reviewed the tape and saw he bit an opponent and he was suspended. the same thing happened again. it was noticed more quickly in england. he bit a serbian player, brannize love branno vich and was suspended for 10 address. he's been punished, done it before, and should be punished again. obviously this guy is a big star, a big deal. to punish him now at the world cup? >> they have to do something. it's something you must react

to. italy's players and managers are saying if f.i.f.a. does not react, it will be a big scandal. they have to do something after the fact. he should have been kicked out of the game today. i believe the previous most punishment that f.i.f.a. has done is eight games. that was for a horrible elbow in a 1994 world cup game where a man's jaw was broken. i imagine they have to do something similar. >> could, should, whatever. this is a valuable player, and for a team it matters. >> that is a crucial point. he is the most important player, the biggest star on the team. he scored two goals against england, and 31 goals this season for his team liverpool, and was the best player in england. he won the award for the best player. it would be if lebron james did

something, that's how big a deal it is for the world of soccer. >> those are three bites. >> they have to do something. >> thank you for being with us. >> thank you so much. after a break on "america tonight", making waves. >> people conflate the happy sort of image that they have of a dolphin in a setting like this, with what is going on for them in the wild. life for the captive dolphin, and why one of the nations popular sea life attractions is having second thoughts. adam may up close with the dolphins, and with an exclusive look at questions about their future. later on the programme - silenced. and raising an outcry. the fate of our al jazeera colleagues around the world, and why it marts to all of us -- matters to all of us.

everyone loves them and humans held dolphins in captivity so we can get up close. lately it seems attitudes are changing. the director of one of the country's biggest aquariums say doctors might be too smart, special to keep locked up. adam may reports from baltimore about a groundbreaking measure up for debate. >> reporter: bottle-nosed dolphins entertained crowds at zoos and aquariums across the

country for decades. at one aquarium the future of the animals is up in the air. >> we are asking tough questions, we really are. we don't have the answers yet. we are pursuing them as best we can. i feel we have scratched the surface. >> reporter: john is the c.e.o. of baltimore's national aquarium, and is making waves in the industry, suggesting a dolphin exhibit may need to be closed. >> it came into relief in 2011 when i arrived here, because we lost two calves, and that created a depressed organization. i realised we were in a vulnerable position. it was not a good business decision to continue with the model and having calves in the setting may not be the best possible thing for their well being and health in the long run. >> is any other aquarium in the country looking into this? >> i'm not aware of other aquariums and zoos doing this

now. >> reporter: she feels beautiful. brett is the aquarium's biological director, working closely with the dolphins for two decades and was there when they lost two calves. how does a dolphin react to the loss of a calf? >> they respond as you might expect. they seem to grieve for a period of time. >> reporter: they grieve? >> they tend to stay connected with that calf when they lose it, they push it around the pool. they want it to be alive. >> reporter: after the calves died the national aquarium stopped dolphin shows, an attraction that drew more than a million visitors. tourists can see the trainers work with the dolphins, just without the music and production. >> reporter: hello mia. whitaker gave "america tonight" rare access to the animals. >> looking under the tongue. >> reporter: and showed the research that they are working

on. for example, how to collect d.n.a. from a dolphin's blowhole. >> we ask her to blow into the petrie dish. >> reporter: hoping the findings will help other wild sea mammals. >> all whales in captivity are psychologically traumatised. >> many attitudes have been changed about keeping sea mammals in captivity for ranch or otherwise. >> but policemen plementing a plan to free the dolphins is not as easy as putting the animals back in the ocean. seven of the eight dolphins in baltimore were born in captivity. they never swam in the sea. >> we get everything. pathogens and microbes and risks and hazards that humans created - like oil spills. >> reporter: microplastics. >> yes, boat strikes. all manner of issues that can

occur in an ocean setting. >> reporter: instead he thinks the april could be a nation -- answer could be a national dolphin sanctuary or transferring them to a more natural setting. >> there are dolphin settings in other place, where the bot hl-nosed -- bottle-nosed dolphins come from, and they could thrive. >> reporter: there's an argument that children will see a dolphin, care for the animals, be environmentally conscious. does that play into the decision? >> in many cases when people see dolphins in this setting, the messages they take away are not the ones that we want them to. people conflate the happy image that they had of a dolphin in a setting like this with what is going on for the wild.

>> i believe you can learn for from the animals. that's the real environment. >> the president of the ocean conservation society. they have written two books. we have a criminal. we have technology that we didn't have in the past. >> another clans. having studied them for 20 years. they believe captive dolphins can be reintroduced into the wild. and she thinks the national dolphin sanctuary is a good point. >> i think the support now - that is coming from the public. this never happened before. >> sea world is the most frequent target of criticism by

annal rights group. for the first time they took part in a discussion about the future of kattive sea -- can't if sea mammals. >> what is your contention? >> it's different living in the wild. >> reporter: sea world declined requests to speak to "america tonight" about the discussion now under way. >> we are not trying to set an example for aquariums and zoos. we are trying to do what is right for ours. >> when some hear you talk, you are candid about the fact that this is probably going away some time. do you think it's raising concerns? >> the important thing is to pay attentions to the value. dolphins have a higher level of cognitive capacity. the more we learn at the aquarium, the more we realise

how different they are from other cousins in the ocean. >> reporter: so the national aquarium is taking public feedback, combing through the comments that they are getting from folks, trying to decide what to do. it will be a major part of the decision. a national dolphin sanctuary, how closer we? >> it's an idea. the closest thing you can compare it to is the national elephant center that opened up a couple of years ago in florida. a place for elephants to go that no longer have hopes in zoos. is it possible to do the same for dolphins and other sea animals. mammals land. easier to contain. sea mammals. i have to say, i assume dolphins would be the biggest attraction at a sea life aquarium or facility. wouldn't they put themselves out

of business to send them away. >> you can see the kids faces. what the national aquarium discovered, the audience is changing. at that aquarium, people want to see the shark exhibit. some people don't want to see the dolphins in that setting. "america tonight"s adam may. thank you for being here. let's talk about what scientists know about how dolphins think and feel. we are joined via skype by a marine scientist. we heard adam may tell us the big attraction at the national aquarium is sharks. couldn't we end with the same situation, where people talk about returning sharks or are dowl fence truly -- dolphins truly so special? >> what we know about dolphins and other whales, they cannot

thrive in captivity. that's a question to be asked of any animal. >> tell me about the differences for these creatures. their brains are different, larger, better able to handle complex ideas. >> yes. dolphins and whales have large, highly elaborated brains. their brains are elaborated in the same kinds of areas that are elaborated in the cortex. they have sex awareness, they are socially and emotional. these claims make them incompatible with captivity. >> you have learnt a lot in neuroscience by studying doll fence, you have given up the study yourself. why. >> i gave up the study of dolphins after diana reece and i published a paper on recognise negotiation in dolphins.

i realise that these are self aware, and they didn't want to the contribute to what i thought was a dismal sps in a con -- assistance in a concrete tank. from there on in i've worked on anatomical study and field studies as well. interesting mark, marine scientist, thank you for being with us. ahead in the final thoughts - reaching out to our colleagues, a critical look at the judicial system they fell victim to, and the support and release of their rights to being part of the free press. we depend on you, >> you are one of the voices of this show. >> so join the conversation and make it your own. >> the stream. next on al jazeera america and join the conversation online @ajamstream.

>> on tech know, >> the system is paying attention... >> life saving technology... >> i definitely slowed down as a result... >> transforming the way you drive... >> maybe crashes won't happen any more... >> smart cars of the future... >> whoa...i would have driven straight through that... >> tech know, every saturday go where science meets humanity. >> this is some of the best driving i've every done, even though i can't see. >> tech know. >> we're here in the vortex. only on al jazeera america. al jazeera america. we understand that every news story begins and ends with people.

>> the efforts are focused on rescuing stranded residents. >> we pursue that story beyond the headline, pass the spokesperson, to the streets. >> thousands of riot police deployed across the capital. >> we put all of our global resources behind every story. >> it is a scene of utter devastation. >> and follow it no matter where it leads - all the way to you. al jazeera america, take a new look at news. as we reach the end of the hour, we ask you to consider the fate of our colleagues, three al jazeera journalists given harsh prison sentence, accused of doing their jobs, reporting freely as journalist. now their imprisonment raises questions about justice and freedom in egypt.

erica wood reports. >> reporter: if the world had little faith in egypt's judicial system, the verdict cemented the opinions. [ speaking foreign language ] the sentence of 7 and 10 years imprison for al jazeera journalists was a culmination of five months of trial - trial which international governments, observers and journalists agreed followed little sense or reason. there are no jury trials in egypt. only judges can hear evidence in a court of the rights groups say it leaves the judicial system open to subjectivity. if the court fails to provide justice, can the government intervene? according to e-egyptian law a pardon can be granted by the president, but not until all legal proceedings, including appeals, have been wound up. comments by the president abdul

fatah al-sisi on tuesday hold little hope of him stepping in. >> translation: we will not interfere in judicial matters because the egyptian judiciary is ipp gent. no one interferes with the affairs of state institutions, no one comments or talks about state institutions. >> reporter: egypt's courts suffered a lack of resourcing and a backlog of cases. abdul fatah al-sisi made assurances his government would work to uphold media freedom and human rights. so far there's little sign of it. the crackdown of supporters of mohamed mursi, and his muslim brotherhood is in disputable. in the past year thousands have been arrested, imprisoned and convicted. last week a mass court hearing confirmed the death sentences of 183 people. including muslim brotherhood chief mohammed bad e y.

it was -- mohamed badie. it was said to be the latest move to crush dissent. one of egypt's pro-democracy activists was sentenced to 15 years in prison for protesting. with little had will from inside the country by the government or judicial system to offer fair trials, those caught in egypt's legal web may have to rely on pressure coming from outside in the international community. indeed, that pressure is growing, from the united nations to news organizations in this country, including c.n.n. and the "new york times". you may wonder why the crisis is shared by many, and what brings competitors together and what the fate of three journalists half a world away has to do with

freedom for all of us. >> reporter: it's impossible torus not to be moved by their images. our colleagues peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed - we have watched them caged, calling out for justice, even to simply be heard by the courts. and in this we recognise ourselves. they are employed by our sister channel al jazeera english, but more than that, just as we are, they are reporters, filing stories. they are journalists. >> the charges against our people, against peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed and other staff were absurd from the outset. they are guilty of being great journalists, and carrying out great journalism. is the no point during any of the hearings has one shred of evidence, one shred of evidence been presented by the prosecution which supports the extraordinary allegations made against our people. we know their imprisonment

means their stories are silenced. in our country we criticise government and media. we are free in our democracy to report as we see it. our leaders can take us for task for coverage they don't like, and they do. >> you don't have to get - i'm exercise that - but what you can do. >> she asked you a question, you should answer. >> i did. >> no, you didn't. you said you had though cause. >> the president had conversations with world leaders about the situation in iraq. >> that's why when egypt. which holds itself out as a democracy, following our constitutional model imprisons journalists, not even political opponents. it prove oaks so much outrage. >> they say they are on a roadmap to democracy, and herald this as a pillar of democracy. it is in ruins. >> there's a reminder to the

leaders that locking up reporters for reporting could very well backfire on the attempt to silence critics. >> in the short term it does silence the press to some degree in egypt. it makes the press outside of egypt even more vociferous and stronger. you'll see the story ricochetting around the world. the worldwide protest is growing. our cog eels at the bbc -- colleagues at the bbc had their programme in solidarity with the al jazeera journalists. >> the egyptian authorities are not just robbing three innocent men of their freedom, they are intimidating journalists and inhibiting free speech. as we do, with a reminder to oppressive degrees everywhere that journalism will not be silenced.

iraq was slit up according -- split up according to a diplomat who joins us from kurdistan. we have an analysis from general wesley clark. egypt ignores calls for our colleagues to go free answers demanded from the. >> rs - why wait