NEWS Brother of jailed journalist Peter Greste hopes book on Dubai battle for freedom will inspire JENNY ROGERS GOLD COAST BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 04, 2014 4:43PM BE THE FIRST TO RESPOND Peter Greste and colleagues to launch appeal cdn.newsapi.au/image/v1/external?url=content6.video.news.au/ZscXNybzq_ojD5FyFNTBGnrE_eqmve1J/promo232930294&width=650&api_key=kq7wnrk4eun47vz9c5xuj3mc MIKE Greste, the Toowoomba-based police officer brother of Australian journalist Peter Greste, hopes his brother will gain inspiration from the story of an Australian couple who spent five years fighting for their freedom in Dubai. Mr Greste today launched the book Trapped: A Couple’s Journey to Hell and Back in Dubai by Gold Coast couple Marcus and Julie Lee. It details the battle to have Mr Lee cleared of false bribery charges over a soured Dubai land deal involving Gold Coast developer Sunland. Marcus and Julie Lee at their book launch of Trapped at Robina Town Centre - it details a Marcus and Julie Lee at their book launch of Trapped at Robina Town Centre - it details a five-year fight for freedom against false fraud charges in Dubai Photo: Kit Wise NEWS: LEE REVEALS BOOK ON DUBAI HELL NEWS: WITNESS BOMBSHELL IN BIKIE BRAWL CASE Mr Greste said the Lees case — that of an innocent man thrown into a Middle Eastern jail accused of a crime he didn’t commit — was eerily reminiscent of his brother Peter’s plight. The al-Jazeera English correspondent and two colleagues have been locked up in an Egyptian jail since they were jailed in December for alleged ties with Islamists. Each has filed appeals against their convictions. Julie and Marcus Lee (bottom) at their book launch in Robina, with their lawyer John Sned Julie and Marcus Lee (bottom) at their book launch in Robina, with their lawyer John Sneddon (top left) and jailed journalist Peter Greste’s brother Mike Photo: Kit Wise “Our family, like the Lees, are ordinary everyday folk who have been inadvertently and reluctantly thrust into the international spotlight,” Mr Greste said during the book launch at ABC Books at Robina. “Never did we expect to be forced to enter the world of politics and diplomacy ... never did we expect to spend all our time out of work hours campaigning for our brother’s innocence and release. “The stress and strain on our whole family has been enormous. “We can sympathise with the Lee family and their story of injustice.” Mr Greste said the eight months since his brother’s incarceration had been “a roller coaster ride like no other”. “We are exhausted,” he said. “As a family, we are regrettably sharing a similar ordeal to Marcus and Julie. It is one we would not wish anybody else,” he said. “I hope the book will give him hope that there is light at the proverbial end of the tunnel.”
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 11:04:19 +0000