WATCH: Howard Cohen’s extended interview with Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy
MONTREAL — Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy told Global News that the Egyptian judge presiding over his retrial will likely drop the terrorist charges against him — but he now faces a new obstacle.
While he was Cairo bureau chief for Al Jazeera’s English-language network, the station may have operated without proper broadcasting licenses. Fahmy told Global News that he was unaware of this at the time, but nonetheless could be held responsible.
READ MORE: Mohamed Fahmy, ‘I feel this judge is trying to correct all the mistakes’
Fahmy remains in legal limbo. He is no longer in prison and has been released on bail.
His Canadian passport was confiscated by Egyptian security forces when he was arrested in 2013.
He now wants the Canadian government to re-issue a passport to him. Ottawa has refused due to a court-imposed travel ban, which is part of his bail conditions.
READ MORE: Fahmy shocked at Ottawa’s refusal to issue passport due to travel ban
WATCH ABOVE: Passport is ready for Fahmy upon his release: Yelich
Given this refusal, Global News asked Fahmy what he would say to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper if he had the chance to briefly meet with him.
“I would tell him that he knows, and the whole world knows, that I am a journalist, a recognized journalist.”
“I would not run away from Egypt.”
“I have no background of violence or any sort of black spot in my history to smear my record.”
READ MORE: Feds say they’ve raised Mohamed Fahmy case with Egypt 15 times in 9 days
What would Fahmy say to Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, if he were asked about his views on the Muslim Brotherhood?
Fahmy told Global News that his political position was irrelevant and that he was simply a “messenger,” communicating unbiased news in his capacity as a reporter for CNN and as bureau chief for Al Jazeera.
In between jobs, as a private citizen, he took to the streets of Cairo to protest against the Muslim Brotherhood during the time that the group was in power.
Fahmy recently announced that he will write a book about his experience in Egyptian prison, in which he had exclusive access to Jihadists from Syria and members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
READ MORE: Fahmy shocked at Ottawa’s refusal to issue passport due to travel ban
He said his trial was under-reported by a media preoccupied with the ISIS crisis and the conflict in Ukraine.
Fahmy said he intends to tell the world about Al Jazeera’s way of covering the news, unsuccessful attempts to bring him back to Canada, and the Egyptian show trial that has captured international attention.
While Fahmy has many stories to share, he has more pressing concerns at the moment.
He said he’s hoping that, as the next court hearing in his retrial is only a few days away, he will soon be able to close this “excruciating” chapter of his life and start a new one.
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