Mohamed Fahmy's supporters 'horrified' by 3-year sentence

Supporters of jailed Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy are reacting in surprise and disappointment after an Egyptian court sentenced him to three years in prison.

Fahmy and two of his colleagues at the Al-Jazeera English network were accused of spreading false news and supporting the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. 

Cecelia Greyson became involved in Fahmy's case after her brother was detained in Egypt. John Greyson and Tarek Loubani were held for seven weeks in 2013 but released without charge.

"We knew the verdict was coming down today, but I don't think there was a sense that there was going to be a guilty verdict. I think there was still hope for many people that they would be exonerated today," she said from her home in Halifax.

'Shocked and horrified'

"It was, I would say, disappointing — but that doesn't really encapsulate the reaction that many of us had. I was certainly shocked and horrified by this." 

Greyson says Fahmy's supporters will continue to lobby for his release and acquittal, along with his Egyptian colleague Baher Mohamed. A third journalist, Peter Greste, was charged but deported to his home country of Australia in February. 

Greyson called upon the minister of foreign affairs and the prime minister to make a statement of support for Fahmy. 

"I know in the case of my brother and Tarek Loubani, the prime minister did make a statement in support of their release," Greyson said.

"We believe that made a difference in terms of putting extra pressure on the Egyptian government to honour their release. And in this particular situation for Mohamed Fahmy, today we got a statement from the minister of state. We did not get a statement from the minister of foreign affairs," she said.

"I think this is the kind of case where there is definitely room for this."