Free the Journalists in Egypt!

To gain any remote sense of legitimacy, the Egyptian regime must first free all journalists including Peter Greste, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed being held in Egyptian jails. As the military regime in Cairo conducts a two-day referendum on a new Egyptian Constitution, pressure must be placed upon the government to free all journalists arrested. The above named journalists with al Jazeera Network have been held since last December 29, with no charges against them, but allegations they have supported the now outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. Many other journalists have also been arrested and jailed in Egypt, some for more than five months because the military government believes they are not sympathizers to the regime's cause. One of the first signs of a repressive government is its desire to censure public opinion and that is the essence of the Egyptian regime. How can a non-elected government gain legitimacy? This will be the rallying cry and the cause of much civil disobedience and violence in Egypt henceforth. The precedence set by the military government in Egypt and its succession to power carries a bad taste of democracy into the future in the Middle East. Radical elements that once thought of legitimizing their movements will now stay underground creating a destabilizing effect in the region. Cairo could attempt to minimize these likelihoods by simply freeing jailed journalists.