THE family of jailed Australian journalist Peter Greste today marked a year of him being behind bars, talking of a "trying and lonely" Christmas.
Mr Greste's brothers Andrew and Mike told a Brisbane press conference their parents had visited Peter in prison. He will challenge his conviction on January 1.
He was arrested and jailed for seven years on charges of spreading false news via news outlet Al Jazeera on December 29 last year.
Andrew said it had been a tough year for the family, but they remained hopeful of a happier 2015.
"Mum and dad went and visited him on Christmas Day. It was a fairly sombre occasion," Andrew said.
The Grestes expect Peter will remain in Mazraa Prison on Thursday because only lawyers and judges will be present at the closed hearing.
Mike said a thawing of relations between Qatar, where Mr Greste's employer Al Jazeera is based, and Egypt was a positive development for the case.
"I think it's a pivotal moment in the whole process. The warming of relations between Qatar and Egypt I think is an important step for us. I'd like to think it's removed the political aspect of the reason Peter was arrested," Mike said.
Andrew thanked what he said was ongoing overwhelming community support for Peter.
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