Qatari Al-Jazeera channel has paid “millions of dollars” on the trial of its journalists in Egypt to “wage a war” against the country, former Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy claimed in a Tuesday interview with Al-Youm channel.
Meanwhile, a security official asked Fahmy to drop his Egyptian nationality to be released from prison, the Canadian journalist said.
Fahmy refused at the beginning, but eventually renounced his Egyptian citizenship to benefit from Sisi’s November 2014 decree on deporting convicted and on-remand foreigners, he said.
However, shortly after renouncing his citizenship, Fahmy and his Egyptian colleague Baher Mohamed were released on bail in February. A retrial was ordered, cancelling his initial seven-year prison term.
Fahmy, the former Al-Jazeera International Bureau Chief in Cairo, Mohamed and Australia journalist Peter Greste were charged with belonging to a “terrorist organization” (Muslim Brotherhood), threatening national security and broadcasting false news.
He added that he is determined to reclaim his Egyptian citizenship, emphasizing that many of his family members have served in the police, military and judiciary.
