“What Harper is doing since day one of this case is shameful,”

Sherif Fahmy Brother of Mohammed Fahmy has criticized the Canadian government for what he deems inaction in securing the journalist’s release from an Egyptian prison, but Canadian officials say they’ve been raising the case consistently with Egyptian officials.
In a statement a spokesperson for the minister responsible for consular cases said Canada is “deeply concerned that despite assurances from the Egyptian Government that Mohamed Fahmy was about to be released, a retrial has now been announced.”
The Al-Jazeera journalist has been in Cairo’s Tora prison for more than 400 days. A retrial started on Thursday.
Harper has reached out to Egypt’s president to try to win his release, but the Prime Minister’s Office hasn’t communicated with Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, or what was said.
Sherif Fahmy said that Canada has had many “golden opportunities” to pressure the Egyptian government for his brother’s release.“What Harper is doing since day one of this case is shameful,” writes Sherif. “As I said on Mohamed’s twitter “Lesson learned! If you are a Canadian abroad and got into trouble, you are on your own.”
He said initially the Canadian government told the family it could not get involved due to Mohamed’s joint Canadian-Egyptian nationality. Mohamed has since relinquished his Egyptian citizenship inan effort to pave the way for release. A new decree gives Egypt’s president the power to deport foreigners convicted or accused of crimes.
Australian Peter Greste, a colleague of Fahmy was released from prison on Feb 1.
Australia’s Prime Minister Tony Abbott is said to have called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi directly, urging Greste’s release.