Canadian campaigns for husband held in Egyptian jail

The wife of Khaled Al-Qazzaz, a permanent resident of Canada who has been detained in Egypt without charges for 300 days, is calling on the Canadian government to demand that her husband be returned to Canada immediately.

In an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics on Monday, Sarah Attia, who is a Canadian citizen, said "I really think that Canada is in a position to help my Canadian family, to help my children."

Earlier Monday, Deepak Obhrai, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, told the Commons that the government was aware that Al-Qazzaz was being detained in Egypt but that Canada could "not provide consular services" to him because he is not a Canadian citizen.

Canadian officials in Egypt have been in contact with Attia and the local authorities "to assist as appropriate," said Obhrai.

Attia told Power & Politics host Evan Solomon that Obhrai's response was "​not acceptable."

She said her husband was "months" away from becoming a Canadian citizen, that he valued democracy and human rights.

"​Khaled needs to come home now," she said.

Attia said her husband was arrested because he was part of the election campaign team for ousted President Mohammed Morsi. Al-Qazzaz was the secretary on Foreign Relations with the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, and served with Morsi before last year's military coup

Attia and Al-Qazzaz have four children.

Attia will be calling for her husband's releases during a news conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, alongside NDP human rights critic Wayne Marston.

Watch the full interview with Sara Attia above.