Greste back in Cairo court

Australian Peter Greste says the latest court hearing for him and other journalists on trial in Egypt proves that the prosecution's case "completely fell apart".

Greste and two other detained journalists from Al Jazeera English, along with 17 others are on trial for alleged links to the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood movement.

The trio from the Qatar-based broadcaster have been in detention for more than 100 days, despite an international outcry and amid fears of a crackdown on the media after the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July.

The court on Thursday studied prosecution charges that the defendants had misrepresented Egypt's political crisis in their broadcasts.

To show alleged manipulation, footage was aired from the British channel Sky News's Arabic affiliate, apparently found on a computer in the home of Al Jazeera producer and defendant Baher Mohamed.

It included a Sky News Arabia report on tourism in Egypt, with a horse munching on fodder in a stable in one scene.

The court was also shown seemingly random pictures found in the possession of Greste, including one of his elderly parents.

Greste, a Peabody Award-winning journalist who previously worked with the BBC, mockingly laughed from inside his caged dock in a Cairo police academy.

Judge Mohamed Nagi Rushdy dismissed footage found in Greste's possession of a Kenyan official giving a news conference after a militant attack in Nairobi, where Greste was based.

"This has nothing to do with the case," he told the prosecutors.

Speaking to AFP from the dock, Greste said: "Today, and all the other hearings, prove that the case completely fell apart."

Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian-Egyptian who served as Cairo bureau chief for Al Jazeera English, pleaded for an end to his imprisonment.

"I've been in jail for four months," he yelled.

"What am I paying the price for? There is no strong evidence against us. These are all Sky News videos. What am I doing in prison?" he asked the judge, who adjourned the trial to April 22.

Al Jazeera English said the allegations against the reporters were absurd.

"Every time the case comes back to court, the world sees just how absurd the allegations against our team really are," managing director Al Anstey said in a statement.