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February 25th, 2015

NDP demands Stephen Harper help Mohamed Fahmy

NDP Foreign Affairs critic Paul Dewar (Ottawa Centre) issued the following statement regarding the case of Mohamed Fahmy:

“Prime Minister Stephen Harper must speak personally and directly with Egyptian President al-Sisi on behalf of Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy, and ensure that Mr. Fahmy has all necessary documentation to return to Canada.

“For many months, and again in Question Period on Tuesday, the NDP has urged Prime Minister Harper to intervene directly in Mr. Fahmy’s case. Despite action by other heads of government, Prime Minister Harper still refuses to pick up the phone to call President al-Sisi, and no representative of the Prime Minister's Office has contacted Mr. Fahmy directly. This failure is inexplicable and inexcusable. I spoke with Mr. Fahmy within hours of his release on bail, and I spoke with the Egyptian ambassador about his case.

“Despite Mr. Fahmy's release, the Egyptian court has not returned his Canadian passport. Prime Minister Harper must insist that the passport be either returned immediately by Egyptian authorities or replaced by Canadian officials, so that Mr. Fahmy is able to come home as soon as possible.

“The NDP has always been clear that Mr. Fahmy should never have been convicted for doing his job as a journalist. Now that his conviction has been annulled, his continued retrial is not acceptable. The Government of Canada, and the Prime Minister in particular, must insist on his full release and immediate return to Canada.”