Mohamed Fahmy was convicted and jailed on charges that he spread lies to assist the banned Muslim Brotherhood.Heba Elkholy/The Canadian Press
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi says presidential pardons are being considered for a jailed Egyptian-Canadian journalist and two of his colleagues, raising hopes that they could be released.
Mohamed Fahmy, a former bureau chief for Al Jazeera in Cairo, was sentenced in June to seven years in prison on charges that he spread lies to assist the banned Muslim Brotherhood, a political party that held power until mid-2013. Australian journalist Peter Greste also received a seven year sentence, while Egyptian producer Baher Mohammed was sentenced to 10 years.
Western governments and human rights groups condemned the sentences, criticizing the lack of evidence to support the charges.
In an interview with France 24 on Thursday, Mr. el-Sissi suggested he is considering a pardon for the journalists, saying the matter is under scrutiny "to find a solution." Asked if a decision would be made soon, the President replied, "If we consider that this is in the national interest of Egypt, we will do it."
Mr. Fahmy's brother, Adel, said Thursday that he is cautiously optimistic about the President's comments, in part because Mr. el-Sissi was responding to a question that referred to both Mr. Fahmy and Mr. Greste by name. Mr. Fahmy's family followed up by phoning knowledgeable contacts in Egypt and were told "serious procedures" were under way.
One person told the family, "Yes, there have been serious procedures taken in regards to [Mr. Fahmy], unprecedented procedures …," Adel Fahmy said. "So we're very excited, and we hope something comes out of this."
Earlier this year, Mr. el-Sissi commented publicly that he would have preferred to see the journalists deported after their arrest, rather than tried in court. He issued a decree last week that would allow him to deport foreign prisoners, a move that many hoped would at least lead to Mr. Greste's freedom.
It was not immediately clear how the decree might apply in Mr. Fahmy's case, which is complicated by his dual citizenship. Mr. Fahmy has told his family he hopes he can be deported to Canada under the decree, but would not renounce his Egyptian citizenship to do so.
An employee of the Egyptian Embassy sent a statement to The Globe and Mail on Thursday saying the President's decree represents a "genuine desire to seek possible legal solutions to cases which have gained some attention in Egypt and abroad."
However, Mr. Fahmy's nationality "adds an additional dimension," the statement said. "The Ministry of Justice in Egypt is working on an expeditious, yet thorough, study to determine the legal interpretation of the decree, and the scope of its application as it pertains to dual nationals."
Amal Clooney, a human rights lawyer hired by Mr. Fahmy's family, is asking the Canadian government to seek Mr. Fahmy's deportation under the new presidential decree, Adel Fahmy said. Ms. Clooney is also asking officials to request a temporary health release for Mr. Fahmy, who has hepatitis C and a serious injury to his right shoulder.
In a statement to the media earlier this month, Ms. Clooney called Mr. Fahmy's imprisonment "a travesty of justice" and said he is serving a seven-year sentence "for simply reporting the news." She also made a point of calling on Al Jazeera English, Mr. Fahmy's employer at the time of his arrest, to take "positive steps" and refrain from doing anything that might undermine efforts to secure his freedom.
A spokesman for Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs said the government is aware of the decree. "We continue to seek clarity regarding how it may impact the case of Mr. Fahmy and other Canadians detained in Egypt," he wrote in an e-mail.