Egypt could free Al-Jazeera reporter within hours: Channel

Mohamed Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian national Al-Jazeera reporter who has been jailed in Egypt on charges including aiding a terrorist group, would be freed in hours, the Qatari channel reported on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Egypt decided to deport jailed Australian reporter Peter Greste to his country. A third Egyptian producer, Baher Mohamed, is still in prison in Cairo.

The trio, all work for the Doha-based Al-Jazeera English news channel, were sentenced up to 10 years in prison for aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.

The case provoked international outcry over jailing journalists.

Egyptian Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim has approved that Famhy relinquishes his Egyptian citizenship and keeps the Canadian one, a statement published in the state official Gazette on Tuesday said.

The statement added that Fahmy started the procedures of renouncing the Egyptian nationality on Dec. 25, 2014.

According to the Egyptian constitution, the president has the right to pardon or reduce the penalties after the approval of the cabinet, as long as the defendant has not received a final verdict.

The president approved Fahmy's deportation, who can spend the punishment period in his country.

Al-Jazeera's Cairo offices have been closed since July 3, 2013, when the army removed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi after a popular uprising against his one-year rule.

Cairo accuses Al-Jazeera of spreading lies and working against the interests of Egyptian people for its pro-Muslim Brotherhood coverage. Endit