Egypt releases Australian Al-Jazeera reporter
By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press
Feb 1, 2015 8:45 AM CST
FILE - In this Monday, March 31, 2014 file photo, Al-Jazeera English correspondent Peter Greste, appears in court along with several other defendants during their trial on terror charges, in Cairo, Egypt. A senior Egyptian prison official and the country's official news agency say Greste has been freed...   (Associated Press)

CAIRO (AP) — A Cairo airport official says Al-Jazeera's Australian reporter Peter Greste has left Egypt on a flight to Cyprus after his release from prison.

He says Greste is on an EgyptAir flight to Larnaca, Cyprus that took off shortly after 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Sunday.

Earlier, an Egyptian prison official and the nation's official news agency said Greste was released after more than a year behind bars following a presidential "approval."

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohammed Fahmy, and Egyptian Mohammed Baher were sentenced to at least seven years in prison on terrorism-related charges last year in a trial described as a sham by rights groups. There was no immediate word on the other two journalists.