Canada raises concerns about verdict against Egyptian-Canadian journalist

Canada on Monday voiced disappointment with the guilty verdict of Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy on terrorism-related charges, raising concerns that the judicial process that led to his verdict was inconsistent with Egypt's democratic aspirations.

Canadian Minister of State Lynne Yelich said senior Canadian officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and herself, have raised and will continue to raise Fahmy's case with senior Egyptian authorities.

"We'll continue to provide consular assistance to Mr. Fahmy, including engaging local Egyptian authorities to ensure his medical needs are being met," she said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the opposition New Democratic Party said that the party was shocked and disappointed by Monday's verdict by an Egyptian court which also convicted two other Al-Jazeera journalists to seven years in prison on terrorism-related charges.

Fahmy has already been imprisoned for six months in Egypt for doing his job as a journalist and the verdict suggests that media freedom does not exist in Egypt, said the opposition party in a statement.

The government of Canada must raise Fahmy's case with the Egyptian authorities at the highest level, it said, adding that Prime Minister Stephen Harper must contact President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi directly to condemn the persecution and prosecution of journalists in Egypt, and to call for the immediate release of Fahmy.

Moreover, the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom condemned the verdict against Fahmy and his Al Jazeera colleagues, Peter Greste and Baher Mohamed.

The three men were detained in late December and charged with helping "a terrorist group" -- a reference to the Muslim brotherhood. They all denied the charge of working with the now banned Muslim Brotherhood.

The CCWPF argued the verdicts against Fahmy and his two colleagues are totally unsupported by the evidence presented, and called upon the court to immediately consider an appeal. Failing that, a Presidential Pardon should be given as evidence that Egypt still holds a place among states honoring the values of freedom of the press, it said.

Fahmy was honored last month as the 16th winner of the CCWPF World Press Freedom Award for the defense of press freedom and freedom of expression.