Juris and Lois Greste had hoped their son would be released from jail after Prime Minister Tony Abbott last week called interim Egyptian president Adly Mansour about the case. But the al-Jazeera journalist was refused bail when he and some of his colleagues again faced court on Monday. He will spend another 10 days in jail before the case returns to court.

Speaking to reporters in Brisbane, Juris Greste said it was obvious Egyptian prosecutors were finding it tough to mount a case.

''I don't think anybody could say that they've produced any kind of tangible evidence yet,'' he said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop cautioned that the legal process around Mr Greste's trial must be allowed to take its course.

''We are hopeful that after the proceedings have been completed, Mr Greste will be able to return home,'' she said.

Egypt has accused the journalists of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood to smear the country's reputation. In an unusual move, the judge allowed Mr Greste, Canadian Egyptian bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy and producer Baher Mohamed to step outside the cage, stand before the bench and present their case directly to him on Monday.

Each denied the charges and highlighted to the court they were employed by al-Jazeera English, not al-Jazeera Mubasher (the Egyptian affiliate), whose coverage is seen as pro-Muslim Brotherhood.

''I arrived in Cairo two weeks before my arrest … the idea that I have a connection with the Muslim Brotherhood is frankly preposterous,'' Mr Greste said.

They have been held without bail since they were arrested on December 29. They deny the charges, as do the other 17 people named by authorities last month.

Monday's court session was expected to involve the screening of a video that is meant to be central to the prosecution's case. But for the second consecutive court session, the prosecution failed to present it.