Released al-Jazeera reporter denies Hamas ties

Al-Jazeera's Afghanistan bureau chief Samer Allawi who was released Monday after being arrested last month for his cooperation with Hamas, said that: "I was subjected to a great deal of pressure during my arrest and the interrogations."

He claims that he denied the charges ascribed to him and eventually agreed to the plea bargain with the prosecution over "meetings with a terror organization" in return for his release. Allawi added that as part of his journalistic work he met with senior members of various factions including the Hamas, just as he met with senior Taliban members during his tenure in Afghanistan. (Elior Levi)