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Mohamed Fahmy: Government must do more to help Canadians detained abroad

Mohamed Fahmy is finally back on Canadian soil. The former Al Jazeera journalist was released from an Egyptian prison in September. He joins Anna Maria in studio to talk about his experiences, and the lack of support he says he received from the Canadian government while he was imprisoned.
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Canadian Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy hugs his wife Marwa Omara after being released from Torah prison in Cairo on Sept. 23rd. (Amr Nabil/Associated Press)
"What are we going to do?  We are going to travel the world. We are going to party. Our families have suffered so much since the beginning of this trial. And we are so happy that President Sisi took this action."- Mohamed Fahmy responding to news of his release

September 23rd was a day for celebration, and a day that was a long time coming, for Mohamed Fahmy, and his wife Marwa.

The Egyptian-Canadian journalist learned on this day of his pardon by the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. And he'd finally been released from his Egyptian jail.
 

The ordeal started nearly two years ago when Mohamed Fahmy was arrested, along with two other Al Jazeera journalists. They were accused of biased news reporting, in favour of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood.

And despite a glimmer of hope this past winter when Mohamed Fahmy was released on bail, he was serving a three-year jail sentence following his retrial.

Now though, Mohamed Fahmy is free and he joined Anna Maria in our Toronto studio.

We contacted the Conservative government to respond to criticisms made by Mohamed Fahmy on how his case was mishandled. They have not responded.


 

TIMELINE: The Case of Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy 

This segment was produced by The Current's Howard Goldenthal.

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