Canada PoliticsFamily of detained Canadian journalist in Egypt marks his 200th day in prison, puts pressure on Harper government
The family of a Canadian journalist, currently jailed in Egypt, is lashing out at the Harper government.
Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fahmy — along with Australian Peter Greste and Egyptian Baher Mohamed — was arrested on December 29 and was convicted, in June, for allegedly aiding the former Muslim Brotherhood government by spreading false news.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has insisted that the Canadian government is doing everything it can to free Fahmy, an Al Jazeera journalist.
It seems, however, that they've chosen a tact of 'soft' diplomacy.
On Monday, it was reported that Baird did speak with his Egyptian counterpart about the detention during a conversation about the Israeli-Palestine conflict. On Tuesday, Baird told reporters that he's also raised the issue, of Fahmy, with other foreign ministers in the region.
Moreover, a spokesperson for Consular services told Yahoo Canada News that they remain actively engaged at "senior levels" and continue to provide Fahmy "with consular assistance and ensure that his medical needs are being met."
But, in a scathing op-ed published in the Globe an Mail on Wednesday, Mohamed's brother Sherif, says that the Harper government can and should be doing much more.
The family wants the "Canadian government to make its voice heard publicly."
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott made a direct, public appeal to Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to release Australian journalist Peter Greste. British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was completely appalled and immediately summoned the Egyptian ambassador.
My family wants [Baird] to make a call specifically to push for Mohamed’s release. That – or indeed, any public statement whatsoever – would have been more valuable after the sentencing two weeks ago, or any time in the past 200 days.
The pain of watching helplessly as your brother is locked up without justification is something any Canadian would shudder at. But we never expected our own government to stay silent.
Others, including the Canada's former ambassador to Egypt, have been critical of the Tories' supposed muted response.
Former Liberal MP Dan McTeauge also wonders why the Tories aren't being more proactive.
"Baird shouldn't be worried about bullhorn diplomacy as his party once decried soft diplomacy on all cases we handled. He should instead, pick up the phone and speak to his Egyptian counterpart," McTeague, who served as a Parliamentary Secretary tasked with protecting Canadians abroad during the Chretien-era, told Yahoo Canada News.
"The public declarations by our allies were measured, considering the seriousness with which most nation's hold for the principle of Press freedom. There was more at stake here than gratuitous hand wringing and the mute response by Canada. We may have lessened our standing with other nations who rightly condemned the sentences and expected Canada to lend its voice to their justified and united lament."
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The Fahmy family has launched a petition at Avaaz.org asking the Canadian government to speak more 'loudly.'
The Australian and UK Prime Ministers have fiercely condemned the verdict, demanding the release of the prisoners. Let’s ask that Canada do the same. With a loud enough call we can get real action to help free my brother.
That petition has more than 47,000 names.
The Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) have launched their own petition which they say will be sent directly to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
They're calling for the immediate release of all three imprisoned journalists who, they say, were convicted in a "corrupt trial void of any substantive evidence."
The CJFE petition has almost 11,000 signatures.
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