Two journalists with the Al-Jazeera English network have been released from an Egyptian prison after more than a year behind bars on terror-related charges in a case denounced as a sham by rights groups and the international community.

Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed were freed pending a retrial and have been reunited with their families in Cairo.

A third co-worker, Australian Peter Greste, was freed two weeks ago and deported to his home-country.

Mr Baher was initially sentenced to 10 years in prison and Mr Fahmy to seven years, but Egypt's top appeals court ordered a retrial after overturning the initial ruling, citing "flawed evidence". On the first session of the retrial yesterday, the judge ordered their release.

Their next court hearing is due on February 23 and they have to check in at a police station every day until then.

Mr Fahmy's brother said he had posted £21,500 in bail to grant his brother's release.

Mr Mohammed's wife Jehane Rashed said her husband had arrived home and was playing with his children - one of whom was born during his detention.

He said: "I will continue fighting for the freedom of expression and I will not back off."

The Al-Jazeera reporters spent more than 400 days in prison after being caught in the bitter feud between Egypt and Qatar, main backer of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the group ousted president Mohammed Morsi belonged to.

The court could eventually throw out the case, acquit them, convict them but sentence them to time served, or impose more prison time, with the possibility of a pardon from president Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Like Mr Greste, Mr Fahmy, who is Canadian, could also be deported, but prospects for Mr Baher, who only has Egyptian citizenship, remain murkier.

Cairo has signalled it wants to resolve the case and end the criticism ahead of a major economic conference next month to drum up international investment. Egypt's staggered parliamentary elections are also due to start in March.