Baird urges speedy trial for jailed Canadian
Foreign minister asks Egypt to help Mohamed Fahmy get adequate medical treatment
CAIRO— In his first bilateral visit to Egypt, Foreign Minister John Baird said he called for a fair and expeditious trial for imprisoned Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy but stopped short of calling for his release.
Baird made the comments at a news conference Thursday, hours after arriving for a two-day visit.
“If I’m loud and vocal and use a bullhorn, I’m accused of bullhorn diplomacy. If I try to work quietly and directly, it’s not enough,” Baird said, in response to a question from the Star.
A dual Egyptian-Canadian citizen, Fahmy was working for Al-Jazeera English when he has detained on Dec. 29, along with colleagues Peter Greste, an Australian journalist, and Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian producer. The men have been accused of belonging to or aiding a terrorist organization in a case that has sparked worldwide condemnation and accusations of a crackdown on press freedom led by Egypt’s military-backed government.
“If someone is before the courts in Canada, I’m not able to order their release,” Baird said. “But I appreciated the assurances that the minister (Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy) gave with respect to a fair, open, transparent, expeditious process.”
Baird also said he made requests to Egyptian officials that Mohamed Fahmy’s medical needs be addressed. Fahmy has said he is not receiving adequate medical attention for an unrelated shoulder injury that was exacerbated during his arrest. He has since lost most of the mobility in his right arm.
Baird announced he will meet with Fahmy’s family in Cairo on Friday.
“This is the opportune time for him to take a strong stand in Mohamed’s case,” said Fahmy’s brother, Adel. “Things are truly clear now, this case is based on nothing, the charges are unfounded and there is no reason whatsoever for these three professionals to suffer for four months.” Sharif Abdel Kouddous is a Cairo-based fellow of the Nation Institute.