Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy, who is currently imprisoned in Egypt, yesterday submitted a formal request demanding his Egyptian nationality be revoked to allow his extradition to Canada, an Egyptian foreign ministry official said.
Fahmy, who holds both Egyptian and Canadian citizenship, may be freed after having his Egyptian nationality revoked, the source, who spoke on condition to anonymity, told the Anadolu Agency.
The source added: “Fahmy’s request will be presented to Egyptian President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi who will present the request to the cabinet and the Attorney General for their approval.”
During a phone interview with the Anadolu Agency, a member of Fahmy’s defence team, Said Shabaan said he was sad that Fahmy has to give up his Egyptian nationality so he could take advantage of the law.
Law No. 140 (2014) issued in November last year gives the president the right to hand over foreign defendants to their countries before a final verdict is made in their cases.
The law did not specify whether it will include Egyptians with dual nationalities, but a source told Anadolu that they would be excluded.
Article 155 of the Egyptian constitution grants the country’s president the right to pardon or mitigate punishment after obtaining the cabinet’s approval following a final verdict.