18/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - EU calls for freedom of media. On Tuesday 17 June, Michael Mann, the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, hailed the release of Al-Jazeera journalist Abdullah El-Shamy. Expressing his concern over the detention of other journalists, Mann called on Egypt “to allow journalists to operate freely”. El-Shamy had been detained for ten months without charge. He was arrested on 14 August 2013 when he was covering the violent dispersion of a pro-Morsi sit-in. He was released on 17 June on medical grounds after passing 149 days on hunger strike. At least 16 journalists are still thought to be in prison in Egypt. On 23 June, the Egyptian judicial authorities are due to rule in the trial of three Al-Jazeera journalists. (CG)