Al Jazeera scribe renounces Egypt citizenship in a freedom bid
4 Feb 2015 1:12 AM GMT
Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy has renounced his Egyptian citizenship, his family said on Tuesday, in a bid to follow his Australian colleague Peter Greste in being released from a Cairo jail.
Fahmy’s surrender of his Egyptian passport is a necessary first step for him to be released and deported as a foreign national under a decree issued by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in November. He also has Canadian citizenship.
The news came after Canadian Minister John Baird said that Fahmy’s release was “imminent” following the freeing of Greste on Sunday. The two were arrested in December 2013 along with Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed, and later sentenced to up to 10 years’ jail for aiding blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.
Fahmy’s surrender of his Egyptian passport is a necessary first step for him to be released and deported as a foreign national under a decree issued by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in November. He also has Canadian citizenship.
The news came after Canadian Minister John Baird said that Fahmy’s release was “imminent” following the freeing of Greste on Sunday. The two were arrested in December 2013 along with Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed, and later sentenced to up to 10 years’ jail for aiding blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.
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