Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy stands behind bars at a court in Cairo on May 15, 2014.Reuters
Marwa Omara quit her job and packed her bags a week ago after Egyptian and Canadian officials assured her that the release of her fiancée, jailed journalist Mohamed Fahmy, was imminent and she would soon be flying with him from Egypt to Canada.
But Mr. Fahmy, the Canadian bureau chief for Al Jazeera's English network in Cairo, was still behind bars on Monday and facing the prospect of a new trial. It is a proceeding that could take a couple of months with no guarantee that the result will be different from that of the judicial spectacle last spring that saw Mr. Fahmy and two colleagues convicted on charges of conspiring with the banned Muslim Brotherhood to spread false news. The judge was presented with manufactured evidence and footage taken from the journalists' computers, including footage of barnyard animals and a recording of an Australian pop song.
Even some Egyptian authorities are puzzled over the announcement Sunday that a new hearing for Mr. Fahmy and his colleague, Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed, would commence this Thursday.
The decision was taken by the judiciary, an Egyptian government official said, and is not related to the lengthy and on-going negotiations between Egypt and Canada that were expected last week to lead to Mr. Fahmy's deportation.
It is still possible that Mr. Fahmy will soon be set free, despite the scheduling of the new trial. But a release after the trial begins on Thursday would be more complicated, the Egyptian official said, because it could appear that the President is interfering in the judicial process.
Lynne Yelich, Canada's Consular Affairs Minister, spoke to Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry about Mr. Fahmy's situation on Monday. Canadian officials have raised the issue of the imprisoned journalist with the Egyptians 15 times in the past nine days, said Erica Meekes, a spokeswoman for Ms. Yelich. But his legal team is concerned.
It was more than a week ago that Australian reporter Peter Greste, the third Al Jazeera journalist arrested in Cairo on Dec. 29, 2013, was expelled from the country. It seemed only logical that Mr. Fahmy would follow after giving up his citizenship to be released under a special presidential decree that allows for the deportation of foreigners imprisoned in Egypt – the same route Mr. Greste took to freedom.
Ms. Omara, who is shocked by the turn of events, was ordered not to speak about the case by Amal Clooney, the international human-rights lawyer who is acting for Mr. Fahmy and preparing to fly to Egypt. The date of Ms. Clooney's departure had yet to be decided on Monday afternoon.
But Ms. Omara and Mr. Fahmy's brothers are urging others to demand that Prime Minister Stephen Harper intervene more forcefully. They are asking supporters to use their Twitter accounts to tweet #HarperCallEgypt or to send faxes and e-mails to the Prime Minister's Office.
"Mohamed's family is extremely worried that any release could be delayed indefinitely," his brother, Adel Fahmy, said in a statement Monday. "For the next four days, we are having an impromptu Harper Call Egypt party."
Mr. Harper has raised the case of Mr. Fahmy with "the highest levels of the Egyptian leadership," Ms. Meekes said. The Egyptian government official said Mr. Harper wrote at least two letters on Mr. Fahmy's behalf.
But Mr. Fahmy's family points out that Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke personally with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi several times to obtain freedom for Mr. Greste. Last week, Mr. Abbott also called for the release of Mr. Fahmy and Mr. Mohamed in a telephone call with Mr. el-Sissi.
Among the groups asking the Prime Minister to do more is the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom (CCWPF).
"While the CCWPF acknowledges the effort of the Canadian government thus far," committee member and former Globe and Mail columnist Hugh Winsor said in a statement on Monday, "we support the call of the Fahmy family for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to intervene to secure his release."