Cairo ( CNN ) -- An Egyptian judge on Monday said he would announce the verdict in the trial of three Al Jazeera journalists on June 23 . The prosecution had argued that channels like Al Jazeera brought down Iraq and were planning to do the same in Egypt . One of the defendants , Al Jazeera bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy , argued that `` a TV channel ca n't destroy a country . '' He held up a copy of a book by U.S. President George W. Bush , then slammed it down on the judge 's elevated desk , telling him he had `` underlined the parts in which Bush admits to invading Iraq based on misinformation . '' The prosecution told the court in final statements on June 5 that the three Al Jazeera journalists ' reports `` included footage of clashes between police and protesters , but why ? In order to bring down the regime . But no , Egypt wo n't fall . Who added this footage ? These defendants . '' `` Mercy with these ( defendants ) leads to drowning , the drowning of the entire society in darkness , '' one prosecutor added , asking for the maximum sentence , which could go up to 25 years in prison . The three Al Jazeera journalists -- Fahmy , Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed -- face charges of spreading false news that harms Egypt 's national security and social peace and having membership in an illegal organization , the Muslim Brotherhood . Seventeen others claiming no affiliation to the channel are facing similar charges . Only nine defendants are in custody . Since its start in February , the case has been entangled in domestic and world politics . In Fahmy 's final statement to the judge , he said it was a political case . He has told journalists repeatedly that it was the result of a feud between Qatar and Egypt . The Qatari-owned channel backed the Muslim Brotherhood during the rule and after the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy last year . Its 2011 popularity plunged as supporters of the new regime saw it as a political adversary rather than an opposing network . National Security officer Ahmed Hussein , who did the initial investigation , told the court that the link between Al Jazeera and the Muslim Brotherhood was enough for him to consider the defendants to be members of a terrorist organization . The then-interim government declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organization in December 2013 , days before the arrest of the defendants . For five months , defense lawyers picked apart the case , stressing that the prosecution failed to provide hard evidence that the defendants altered facts or misrepresented reality , especially in a way that would endanger national security , social peace , and unity as the charges claim . When the prosecution first presented video footage and pictures it said were collected from defendants ' devices and cameras in March , defendant Peter Greste told reporters he was angry `` that we spent two months in prison for such flimsy evidence . '' Video footage and pictures , which were displayed twice again in court , included 2012 reports by Sky News Arabia , reports from Greste 's original base in Kenya , and personal images and pictures of guns and ammunition , in addition to raw footage for some reports about demonstrations shot in Cairo . It also included photos and videos from Fahmy 's work with CNN in 2011 and 2012 . The requirements of a journalist 's work were often at the center of the argument . Defense lawyers focused on questioning the procedure , starting with the initial investigation and up to viewing the evidence in court . They said the prosecution charges refer to a different Al Jazeera channel , Al Jazeera Mubasher Misr , which was banned by an Egyptian court . `` Once the officers made the arrest , they realized this was an English channel , rendering the investigations and everything that was built on it null and void , '' lawyer Shaaban Saeid told CNN . He was optimistic about the judge 's decision to announce the verdict in a week , an unusually short period for a process that traditionally could extend to weeks and months . `` It means the judge does n't need time to write reasons for a conviction , '' Saeid said . An acquittal could be on the horizon , but others are holding back their excitement , fearing the politicization of the case , and public opinion that does n't view Al Jazeera favorably , could lead to a conviction . Later on Monday , in a separate case , Egypt 's prosecutor ordered the release of Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Abdullah El-Shamy , arrested last August and on hunger strike since January , due to his deteriorating health condition . CNN 's Ian Lee contributed to this report .
Three Al Jazeera reporters face charges in Egypt of broadcasting false news . They say the channel is trying to bring down Egypt ; they forcefully deny it . Defense attorneys say the charges were actually filed for a different Al Ain channel .