Freeing Peter
1st Edition
Published on 29. August 2016
320 pages
978-1-76014-241-4 (ISBN)
Description
Freeing Peter tells the extraordinary true story of how an ordinary Australian family took on the Egyptian government to get Peter Greste out of prison.
When Peter Greste was arrested in Egypt, his family were shocked but not panicked. Peter had been a foreign correspondent for two decades in numerous dangerous countries, and been detained before. He was only in Egypt on temporary assignment - how much trouble could he be in?
A lot, it quickly became clear. Peter was put into solitary confinement, then charged with threatening national security. No evidence was ever produced, but after a sham trial he was given a seven-year sentence.
Peter's family, meanwhile, were working to free him. Rather than wait on official channels, the Grestes were soon running an international media campaign, and for the 400 days Peter spent in prison his plight was seldom out of the headlines. The process was by no means plain sailing, nor was there always agreement, but the Grestes were galvanised rather than paralysed by the crisis.
Here each writes frankly and movingly about how they pulled together as a family, and the times they didn't. About the daily uncertainty, the paucity of information, the strain of decision-making, the emotional visits to the prison, the incomprehensible Egyptian legal system, and the overwhelming support from every level of Australian society. Peter superbly depicts the effects of incarceration on his state of mind, and his battle not to construct a mental prison within the physical one.
Freeing Peter is an inspirational story about fortitude, resilience, and a highly functional family whose unity proved to be the saving of them.
'An extraordinary degree of resilience and strength is revealed in the intelligent voices of the family members . . . Freeing Peter powerfully conveys how differently individuals react to extreme circumstance, and how a strong family held together.' Kate Ryan, Australian Book Review
'This is a powerful book for myriad reasons and a timely reminder of how precious the freedom of speech, a strong press and the love of family truly are.' Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin
When Peter Greste was arrested in Egypt, his family were shocked but not panicked. Peter had been a foreign correspondent for two decades in numerous dangerous countries, and been detained before. He was only in Egypt on temporary assignment - how much trouble could he be in?
A lot, it quickly became clear. Peter was put into solitary confinement, then charged with threatening national security. No evidence was ever produced, but after a sham trial he was given a seven-year sentence.
Peter's family, meanwhile, were working to free him. Rather than wait on official channels, the Grestes were soon running an international media campaign, and for the 400 days Peter spent in prison his plight was seldom out of the headlines. The process was by no means plain sailing, nor was there always agreement, but the Grestes were galvanised rather than paralysed by the crisis.
Here each writes frankly and movingly about how they pulled together as a family, and the times they didn't. About the daily uncertainty, the paucity of information, the strain of decision-making, the emotional visits to the prison, the incomprehensible Egyptian legal system, and the overwhelming support from every level of Australian society. Peter superbly depicts the effects of incarceration on his state of mind, and his battle not to construct a mental prison within the physical one.
Freeing Peter is an inspirational story about fortitude, resilience, and a highly functional family whose unity proved to be the saving of them.
'An extraordinary degree of resilience and strength is revealed in the intelligent voices of the family members . . . Freeing Peter powerfully conveys how differently individuals react to extreme circumstance, and how a strong family held together.' Kate Ryan, Australian Book Review
'This is a powerful book for myriad reasons and a timely reminder of how precious the freedom of speech, a strong press and the love of family truly are.' Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin
More details
Persons
Andrew Greste (Author)
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Juris Greste (Author)
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Lois Greste (Author)
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Michael Greste (Author)
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Peter Greste (Author)
Peter Greste was born in Sydney and studied journalism at the Queensland University of Technology. His work as a foreign correspondent for Reuters, the BBC and Al Jazeera has taken him around the world, and he has lived in London, Belgrade, Africa, South America and Afghanistan. He was awarded a Peabody Award in 2011 for his documentary on Somalia, and the Australian Human Rights Medal in 2015 for his work as an advocate of a free press. In 2013 he was arrested in Cairo, along with his Al Jazeera colleagues, for reporting news that was 'damaging to national security'. He was subsequently tried and convicted for seven years, but was released without explanation after 14 months in prison, an experience he and his family recounted in Freeing Peter.
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Juris Greste (Author)
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Lois Greste (Author)
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Michael Greste (Author)
Juris and Lois Greste are the Brisbane-based parents of Peter Greste, an award-winning foreign correspondent, and Andrew and Michael Greste. Andrew, a farmer, lives in Wee Waa; Michael, a police officer, lives in Toowoomba.
Peter Greste (Author)
Peter Greste was born in Sydney and studied journalism at the Queensland University of Technology. His work as a foreign correspondent for Reuters, the BBC and Al Jazeera has taken him around the world, and he has lived in London, Belgrade, Africa, South America and Afghanistan. He was awarded a Peabody Award in 2011 for his documentary on Somalia, and the Australian Human Rights Medal in 2015 for his work as an advocate of a free press. In 2013 he was arrested in Cairo, along with his Al Jazeera colleagues, for reporting news that was 'damaging to national security'. He was subsequently tried and convicted for seven years, but was released without explanation after 14 months in prison, an experience he and his family recounted in Freeing Peter.
