DOHA, QATAR: In response to the jailing of three of its journalists, news network Al Jazeera has demanded freedom of the press, except in the Gulf state of Qatar.

“Media freedom is a universal right that should be shared by all the peoples of the world – except those living in Qatar,” said editor-in-chief, Mustafa Khan.

“In jailing three of our journalists, the Egyptian government has shown contempt for press freedom – a right we hold very dearly, except where it interferes with the interests of the Qatar royal family,” said Qatar royal family member and Al Jazeera’s chairman, Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani.

“All Al Jazeera staff will be covering their mouths with tape to symbolise press censorship,” said Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani, the outgoing director general of Al Jazeera and now Qatar economy minister. “However, we will be cutting out a small piece of the tape to show that there is one country in the world where it’s actually ok to silence the media,” he added.

“The jailing of our journalists will in no way stop reporting on matters of huge public interest in Egypt,” vowed English language news editor, Tom Hoppard. “Unless it in some way hurts Qatar’s foreign policy or talks about Nepalese workers dropping dead.”