Al Jazeera reporter renounces Egypt citizenship in freedom bid

The move is a necessary first step for jailed journalist Mohamed Fahmy to be released and deported as a foreign national under a decree issued by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in November.

CAIRO // Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy has renounced his Egyptian citizenship, his family said on Tuesday, in a bid to follow his Australian colleague Peter Greste in being released from a Cairo jail.

Fahmy’s surrender of his Egyptian passport is a necessary first step for him to be released and deported as a foreign national under a decree issued by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in November. He also has Canadian citizenship.

The news came after Canadian foreign minister John Baird said that Fahmy's release was "imminent" following the freeing of Greste on Sunday.

The two men were arrested in December 2013 along with Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed, and later sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on charges of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.

Their imprisonment sparked a global outcry and proved a public relations nightmare for Mr El Sisi, who has cracked down on extremists since toppling president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013.

“He signed the papers more than a week ago” to give up his Egyptian citizenship, a relative of Fahmy said on condition of anonymity.

“It was very hard for him because he is a proud Egyptian who comes from a family of military servicemen.”

An Egyptian official said Fahmy’s renunciation of citizenship had already been finalised, adding: “The final legal procedures for his deportation are being completed.”

Soon after Greste’s release, Fahmy’s fiancee, Marwa Omara, said: “We are expecting Mohamed to be released in the coming days.”

Last month, the three men's convictions were overturned by an appeal court which ordered a retrial but kept them in custody.

On Tuesday, in his first posts on his official Twitter account after more than 400 days in jail, Greste who is resting in Cyprus said he would soon be heading home.

“Brother Mike and I due to head home to Australia shortly. Can’t wait for the family reunion,” he wrote.

“Special thanks to all who’ve supported us over the past year. MUST NOT FORGET THOSE STILL IN PRISON,” he wrote in another tweet.

Al Jazeera has vowed to pursue the campaign to free both Fahmy and producer Mohamed.

But the channel’s head of newsgathering, Heather Allan, admitted she was not confident that Mohamed would be released as he has no second passport.

“I can’t say I am confident, no. I just don’t know, honestly. Are we going to keep on fighting it? Absolutely -- we are not going to leave him there,” she said.

Mohamed’s family has pinned its hopes on a presidential pardon or his acquittal on appeal.

* Agence France-Presse