Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy says he is “beyond ecstatic” to learn that he may soon have a Canadian passport in hand.

Fahmy spoke to CP24 from Cairo Monday after learning that the Canadian government is working to provide him with a new passport.

“My family is almost celebrating the news. My fiancée is very excited – that means we can actually get married,” Fahmy said. “It’s just beautiful to be able to feel safe and have that passport when I get it and can walk the streets safely here.”

Fahmy’s passport was seized and lost after he was arrested in Cairo in 2013 on terrorism charges that have been widely denounced. At the time of his arrest, he was working for Al-Jazeera English. He was released on bail in February after spending more than a year in prison, but his movements and other freedoms have been restricted without the passport.

“In Canada, the passport is used solely to travel. Here, you need it for identity purposes, for getting married, for power of attorney, for renting a flat – just so many reasons that I needed the passport,” Fahmy said. “And now that I’m going to get it, I’m really really happy and I can just go on a honeymoon within Egypt and go to the sea.”

To this point, the Canadian government had declined to reissue Fahmy a passport, citing bail conditions.

“After several weeks of intervention by government officials on Mr. Fahmy’s behalf, we are now in a position to issue Mr. Fahmy a passport despite ongoing legal issues and travel restrictions,” a spokesperson in Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander’s office told CTV News in an email. “Our government will continue to take every precaution necessary to ensure the Canadian passport remains one of the most trusted and secure travel documents in the world.”

Fahmy cited the support of the media, his lawyers, the public and officials for moving his case forward.

“There was a lot of support for me from lawyers and government officials like Mr. Paul Dewar and Mr. Justin Trudeau and others,” he said.

Fahmy said he is hoping that the new passport will be in hand soon and that it is a ‘good omen’ with his second trial following an appeal set to get underway this week.

“My trial is coming up after tomorrow and that news could not have come at a better time, to be honest,” he said.

Fahmy’s Australian colleague Peter Greste was deported to Australia in February. However despite having given up his Egyptian passport, Fahmy was not released.

- With files from The Canadian Press

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