Malaysia-based staff of the international news network Al Jazeera, along with local journalists and activists, will gather in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow in solidarity with Al Jazeera journalists who have been detained in Egypt.

The event will take place at G-Towers, Jalan Tun Razak near Al Jazeera’s Kuala Lumpur headquarters, starting at 1pm, the network’s assistant producer K Parkaran told Malaysiakini .

“We would be wearing our T-shirts (in support of the detained journalists) and maybe walk around,” Parkaran said.

The peaceful gathering is part of a global day of action to press for the release of the journalists detained in Egypt.

The clarion call for the action is ‘Journalism is not a crime’ and will highlight the #FreeAJStaff campaign that has been picking up pace in the social media sphere.

20 Egyptian journalists face charges

Three journalists from the Qatar-based news network were arrested in Egypt for allegedly publishing “false news”.

The journalists have been accused of having links with the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s former ruling party that has been declared a “terrorist organisation” after a coup last year.

In total, 20 journalists, nine of them from Al Jazeera, are facing charges related to the case.

Among the journalists are Mohamed Fahmy, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed.

The three were arrested in late December at a hotel in Cairo, after being accused of holding illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Al Jazeera has continuously rejected the charges and had demanded the immediate release of its staff.

Mohamed, Greste and Baher pleaded not guilty in a Cairo court last week and their trial was adjourned to March 5.