Egypt deports three Al-Jazeera reporters

working for the English-language version of Qatar-based news broadcaster Al-Jazeera, after they were detained for nearly a week and accused of working illegally.

An official at the airport says Al-Jazeera English correspondent Wayne Hay, cameraman Adil Bradlow and producer Russ Finn left Cairo for London on Sunday.

The three were detained Tuesday with an Egyptian colleague while covering events in Egypt.

The official said they were deported for working in Egypt without a permit or license to use satellite transmitters. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr Executive Producer Shihab Elddin Shaarawi, was also arrested early on Friday morning by security forces who kept denying his detonation until Sunday when they confirmed that he has been arrested.

Last week, Egypt’s interim government called Al-Jazeera’s local Arabic language channel a threat to national security and ordered it closed.