Egypt defends itself at U.N. amid outcry over jailing of journalists

Journalists protest the imprisonment of Al Jazeera journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed in Egypt, outside Al Jazeera offices in Sanaa June 25, 2014.REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Egypt defended its judicial system at the United Nations on Wednesday amid a global outcry over the jailing of al Jazeera journalists, telling diplomats and reporters that it respects the role of the media and does not consider journalism a crime.

Diplomats from more than 17 countries, including eight members of the U.N. Security Council, attended the meeting organised by the U.N. Correspondents Association to show solidarity with the three imprisoned Al Jazeera journalists.