professor when you heard about the conditions on the ground that peter ackerman was talking about, about role of leaders in the ukraine, are there the necessary preconditions for this not to end the way it has in the last two cycles? >> well, it may end temporarily that way, but i see ukraine's crisis as something that is reoccurring and not likely to go away, even if this particular episode is settled. i think right now the country seems to be on the brink, or has been on the brink of civil war because parts of the opposition have seized power in certain places. the regime was mobilizing its force in order to take back the area. and i think the reason why it backed off is that t military balked, and so yanukovych fired his minister of defense, but realized he didn't have the power to really crush this movement, so we're kind of at a stalemate at this point in time. and i don't see the leadership being united enough to overcome its differences in the long run, and i really think there is an issue about what happens to the extremists. they are mobilized, you know, some have -- have arms p

mohamed fahmy, peter greste and baher mohamed have been imprisoned for 59 days. tom ackerman reports. >> the trial of the al jazeera journalists was convened inside the cairo police academy. mohamed mohamed fahmy, baher mohamed and peter greste have denied all charges. the three pled not guilty. >> we demanded their rest a and ochance to interrogate prosecution witnesses. >> the three are among 20 defendants, eight of whom were present, the rest tried in absentia. >> we believe we will get a fair trial and we believe we can defend owrs and we believe we have a very defensive opposition. >> family of the detained journalists say the charges have no merits. >> my son and his colleagues are professionals. >> we have to prepare for an outcome that we don't want. >> two of the defendants shouted from their change that they have been subjected to psychologically process protests from journalists from around the world, who warned that egypt had become one of the most oppressive countries for reporters. >> absolutely not acceptable. people think it's a perfectly fine way to proceed a

ackerman, no easy answers. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> now to egypt where our three al jazeera colleagues are being detained. they made their first appearance in cairo courtroom. peterste, baher mohamed, mohamed fahmy pled not guilty. the trial was adjourned until march 5th. al jazeera says the charges are false and is demanding the immediate release of its staff. our tom ackerman reports. >> cameras were barred inside the courtroom at the cairo police academy where the trial of the al jazeera journalists was convened. baher mohamed, mohamed fahmy and peter greste, three pled not guilty. >> we demanded their release and a chance to interrogate prosecution witnesses. >> the three are among 20 defendants, eight of whom are present, the rest charged in absentia. >> we are very pleased we are in court, we believe we will get a fair trial and we believe we can defend ourselves and we have a very defensible position. >> family members of the journalists say the charges had no merit. >> from my point of view this trial is politicized. my son and his co-workers are good patriots and they work professionally. >> he is prepared to die. but he is also prepared for an outcome t

mohamed and peter greste and fahmy are in prison 55 days and accused of being with a terrorist organization and plead not guilty to all charges against them and tom ackermanthe trial of the al jazeera journalists was convened inside the cairo police academy and fahmy and mohamed and peter greste denied all the government's charges and accused of belonging to a terrorist organization and threatening egypt's national security and the three plead not guilty. >> translator: we demanded their release and the chance to interrogate prosecution witnesses. >> reporter: the three are among 20 defendants, 8 of whom were present, the rest being tried elsewhere. and al jazeera management expressed satisfaction that the trial was underway. >> we are very pleased we are in court and we believe we will get a fair trial and believe we can defend ourselves and we have a very defensible position. >> reporter: family members said the charges had no merit. >> translator: from my point of view the trial is politicized. >> this is prepared for an outcome we don't want. >> reporter: to journalists shouted from the defendant's cage they have been subject to, quote, psychologicall