Journalist Peter Greste appeals for continued public pressure on Egyptian Government to release him from jail The hint of presidential intervention in the case of journalist Peter Greste has given his parents hope. JAILED journalist Peter Greste has urged supporters to ­continue agitating for his release and that of his colleagues, saying he believes it will help their case. In a letter to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and his deputy Tanya Plibersek, Greste said he believed public calls for his release would increase pressure on Egyptian authorities. "Although I remain in prison, I am convinced that the continued pressure does help, particularly as we enter the crucial appeal phase of our legal battle to overturn the convictions," Greste said in a handwritten letter. Click here for The Courier-Mail's Journalism Matters - Free Peter Greste essay series We also draw enormous strength from the knowledge that we have so many people behind us at this rather challenging time. I know that support comes from a collective outrage at the affront to the freedom of expression, but I am also acutely aware and extremely proud of the role my family has played in keeping the issue alive and very much in people's minds over the past six months. Greste wrote to Mr Shorten and Ms Plibersek on July 19 from his cell in Mazraa prison in Cairo but the letter has only just been received. Peter Greste's parents Juris and Lois. Greste says he's "extremely proud of the role my family has played in keeping the issue alive." The Australian reporter was jailed along with other Al Jazeera journalists in June after they were convicted in Egypt of supporting the banned Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false news. An Egyptian court is due to hear an appeal against the widely criticised convictions on January 1. Greste's parents Lois and Juris last week said they hoped he could return home before Christmas. The Australian Government has been trying to secure Greste's release with direct appeals.