PICTURES: Journalists campaign worldwide for release of imprisoned colleagues in Egypt

The campaign has generated some powerful imagery following the sentencing of the three Al Jazeera journalists on Monday.

This was the back page of the New York Times on Sunday.

A powerful message on the back page of today's New York Times. @PeterGreste #FreeAJStaff pic.twitter.com/s70z4VAgsF

— Tom Forbes (@tomforbesGC) June 22, 2014

The stark image was designed to draw attention to a worldwide campaign to free three Al Jazeera journalists being held in Egypt and to illustrate what would happens when journalists were silenced.

On Monday, an Egyptian court sentenced the three men to prison on terrorism-related charges. Australian Peter Greste and Canadian-Egyptian Mohammed Fahmy both received seven-year sentences while Egyptian Baher Mohammed was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Journalists across the world showed their solidarity with their imprisoned colleagues by posting photos of themselves with duct tape over their mouths, to social media using the hashtags #Journalismisnotacrime and #FreeAjStaff. Perhaps most strikingly, Jon Snow, the Channel 4 newsreader signed off his broadcast last night doing the same.

.@Channel4News staff and @jonsnowC4 sign off in solidarity with #FreeAJStaff #journalismisnotacrime pic.twitter.com/A6HYeYB6c9

— Sunny Hundal (@sunny_hundal) June 23, 2014

At BBC Delhi, minute's silence with .@geetapandey in solidarity #FreeAJStaff #journalismisnotacrime pic.twitter.com/s0EfDicrIe

— Shilpa  (@shilpakannan) June 24, 2014

The three journalists were working for Al Jazeera's English-language channel, covering anti-government protests when they were detained in December. The prosecution in the case argued that they had aided the Muslim Brotherhood - which was listed as a terrorist organisation before the men's arrest - and had falsified news reports of the situation in Egypt.

The journalists' defence maintained they had been wrongly arrested and that there was no actual evidence against them.

Nevertheless, the men were found guilty.

صحفيو البي بي سي يتضامنون مع صحفيي الجزيرة المحكوم عليهم بالسجن في #مصر. #JournalismIsNotaCrime #FreeAjStaff pic.twitter.com/8ECh8isKTU

— BBC News عربي (@BBCArabic) June 24, 2014

. @AlJazeera We are not going to stop till they are free #FreeAJStaff

— Storyful (@Storyful) June 23, 2014

The verdict has been condemned by Al Jazeera, human rights groups including Amnesty International, fellow journalists and foreign leaders. US Secretary of State John Kerry released a statement saying he had contacted Egypt's foreign minister to express concerns over the verdict.

The family of Peter Greste released this statement on their Facebook page, Free Peter Greste.

"We are so devastated!!!! Peter has received 7 years. This is not the end. Please make noise, this is unjust and a slap in the face for freedom of speech and media"