Jailed Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy says his bags are packed and he is ready to return home. But Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said the case is "complex," after meeting with his Egyptian counterpart.
Fahmy says he is thankful that Baird addressed his case during meetings with the Egyptian foreign minister Thursday.
"I would be lying if I say my bags are not packed, since my wrongful detention, a year ago, we have learned to live with the punches," Fahmy said in a statement obtained by CTV News' Daniele Hamamdjian.
"It's vital that Ottawa continues to engage with my lawyers Mr. Lorne Waldman and Mrs. Amal Clooney in this critical phase of negotiations."
Fahmy issued his statement shortly after Baird met Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry Thursday.
In a press conference following the meeting, Baird called the meeting "constructive," but admitted that he didn't expect an quick resolution.
"I didn't leave Canada with any expectation that we would solve the issue today, but we had a constructive dialogue and we look forward to continue that and to solve this case," he said.
"This is a complex one. I think the minister has an understanding of how important this is to me, how important this is to all Canadians."
Fahmy and two of his colleagues were arrested in Dec. 2013, while working for the broadcaster Al Jazeera in Cairo. The three were accused of supporting the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, which is now considered a terrorist group in Egypt. The three were also charged with falsifying footage with the intention of undermining Egypt's national security.
All three men have denied all allegations against them. All were sentenced to prison terms after they were found guilty in a trial last June.
Reacting to the developments Thursday, Fahmy's family said they were disappointed, as they had hoped that Baird's visit would bring an end to his imprisonment.
"We expected that the deal would be sealed during Mr. Baird's visit," Fahmy's fiancée Marwa Omara told The Canadian Press. "However it seems that … there is no decision made or nothing will be done during the visit."
Several factors had led the family to believe that Fahmy would soon be released.
A retrial for all three journalists was ordered earlier this month, and the Egyptian president announced new powers to deport foreigners convicted or accused of crimes.
As well, Omara said government sources in Egypt and in Canada had indicated that Fahmy may soon be deported under the new law.
Supporters of the journalists have suggested that the case against the three is about politics, as Egyptian authorities have claimed that the Qatar-based Al Jazeera broadcaster is biased towards the Muslim Brotherhood. Al Jazeera has rejected the claims.
With files from The Associated Press
