Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird will visit Egypt in January to discuss bilateral relations and push for the release of the imprisoned Egyptian – Canadian Al-Jazeera Journalist Mohamed Fahmy.
The Canadian Press news agency quoted Baird Tuesday highlighting the Canadian government’s hard work behind the scenes “to win the release of the Al Jazeera journalist who will be entering his 13th month in captivity by the time Baird arrives in Cairo in January.”
The Spokesperson for Ministry of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdel Atty told The Cairo Post Wednesday that Baird’s visit to Egypt was previously scheduled to be in January 2015, after he was absent during the reconstruction of Gaza conference, held in Cairo on October 12.
Abdel Atty said Baird will discuss bilateral relations and pending regional issues, including Libya strife and the situation in Gaza.
Reuters on Wednesday quoted the Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop’s statement pointing out ongoing contacts with Egypt regarding the release of the Australian Al-Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste.
“I urged [the Egyptian foreign minister] to consider releasing Peter Greste for Christmas,” said Bishop.
Fahmy, Greste and Egyptian Journalist Mohamed Baher have been held in custody for a year after they were accused of spreading false news in favor of a terrorist organization, a reference to the banned Muslim Brotherhood group. In June, the three were sentenced to jail terms ranging from seven to ten years. The verdicts and the charges were condemned by global human rights organizations and were described as quelling the press freedom in the country.
Their verdict will be appealed before the court in January 2015.
For his part, Abdel Atty commented saying that the release of the Al-Jazeera journalists has been among the issues scheduled to be discussed between Egypt and the requesting countries.
When asked about the Egyptian response to the said requests, Abdel Atty said “we say it is a judicial matter and being considered by the Egyptian courts.”
In an interview in November, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi has waved he is considering a pardon for the journalists working for the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel.
He also has issued a presidential decree allowing him to repatriate non-Egyptian inmates to be tried or serve issued verdicts in their homelands. Many interpreted the decree as serving the Al-Jazeera journalists’ case; however, indications showed that Australian Greste will definitely benefit from Sisi’s decision.
The imprisonment of the three Al-Jazeera journalists, beside it was internationally condemned; was also referred to as a product of the escalated Egypt- Qatar tensions, after the later was seen biased to the ousted President Mohamed Morsi and his Islamist Brotherhood group.
The Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel’s coverage has adopted an anti-Sisi’s administration editorial line, which had driven high criticism against the channel.
On Monday, a notable positive development in Egypt-Qatar bilateral relation was monitored when the Al-Jazeera parent channel announced that it is suspending its Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr, which was allocated to cover Egyptian affairs, until the channel receives licenses enabling it to return its broadcasting from Cairo. The headquarters of the channel in Cairo was raided by security forces hours after Morsi was deposed.
The development was seen as the first results of the Egyptian –Qatari reconciliation, brokered by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to end the two countries’ standoff.
The move raised speculations of a breakthrough in the Al-Jazeera journalist after perceived international relations thaw between the two conflicting countries.
