Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has raised the topic of a jailed Canadian-Egyptian journalist directly with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, CTV News has learned.
Mohamed Fahmy has been imprisoned with two other Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt since December 2013. His family has been pressuring Ottawa to help secure his release.
Baird raised the topic over dinner Thursday with el-Sissi in Davos, Switzerland, where they are both attending the World Economic Forum.
Canadian FM @Baird raises issue of @MFFahmy11 over dinner w/ Egyptian Prez Sisi in #Davos pic.twitter.com/7Nrtcsb8OS
— Daniele Hamamdjian (@DHamamdjian) January 23, 2015
There is no word on the details of the conversation.
Last week Baird met with Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry, and brought up Fahmy's case. However Baird said afterwards the situation was "complex."
There has been some reason for cautious optimism in recent days. El-Sissi has promised to pardon prisoners on Sunday, the fourth anniversary of the Arab Spring uprising.
It is still unclear, however, whether Fahmy will be among those released.
From Davos, Baird will be travelling to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
