Fahmy on Egypt ordeal: “abandoned and betrayed by Harper”

Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian-born Al Jazeera journalist recently released from prison in Egypt, had strong words for his country’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, saying at a press conference on Tuesday he felt “betrayed and abandoned” by the conservative politician.

Fahmy said there needs to be immediate leader-to-leader communication with cases like his, and added that though low-level government officials met with him “Mr. Harper refused” to talk to him and his lawyers.

“While you here, citizens in Canada and around the world, clearly understood the urgency of the situation we faced in prison in Egypt, the Harper government did not”, Fahmy said.

Last month, Eyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi issued a pardon after Fahmy and fellow journalists Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste were convicted a second time on charges of terrorism-related offences and spreading false news.

The three Al Jazeera journalists had previously been sentenced to between seven and 10 years in jail on charges including spreading lies to help a “terrorist organization”, in reference to the banned Muslim Brotherhood. The trial was criticized by human rights groups as deeply flawed.

Fahmy and one of his colleagues received a presidential pardon last month.

“If you ever doubt that these campaigns make a difference, I’m living proof that they do”, he said. “I felt lots of warmth and love”.

Addressing the media in the Rogers Communication Centre as part of a Canadian Journalists for Free Expression event, Fahmy said he hopes to start a foundation to fight for the release of journalists unjustly imprisoned overseas.

A senior government official said Harper spoke with Egypt’s president and sent several letters on Fahmy’s behalf. He said he was grateful but asked, “Why aren’t they transparent about him making a call and taking a stand?”

Fahmy joined Tom Mulcair during a brief news conference in Toronto on Tuesday, where he thanked the NDP Leader for “directly questioning Mr. Harper in Parliament about the mild stance toward my case”.

Fahmy left Cairo last week after learning his name had been removed from a no-fly list.

Fahmy, who moved to Canada with his family in 1991, has said he plans to take up a position as an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s school of journalism in Vancouver. He is writing a book about his experiences.