"The release of Hussein is a milestone, a test and a moment of inspiration for the freedom of the press," Mostafa Saug, acting director general of the Al Jazeera network, said in a statement.
Mostafa Saug said: "We are very pleased that he is reunited with his family. Mahmoud will recover quickly, overcome the ordeal of the past and begin a new chapter in his extraordinary professionalism, said the acting director general of the Al Jazeera network.
He joined Al Jazeera Arabic in 2010 as a full-time journalist after working for several years in various Arabic language news channels. Mahmud has previously worked as a contributor there.
