Former Morsi aide released from prison in Egypt

A former aide to Mohammed Morsi was released from an Egyptian prison on Sunday, after 558 days of detention without charge.

Khaled al-Qazzaz – who is a Canadian resident – was released from his hospital room where has spent two months receiving “basic” treatment. He is suffering from a severe spinal condition and requires surgey, after being held for a prolonged period in solitary confinement in a 2 metre by 2 metre cell.

Qazzaz, 35, is a University of Toronto engineering graduate and was arrested along with ex-president Morsi in July 2013, following a popularly backed military coup against the Muslim Brotherhood leader.

He served as a secretary of foreign affairs in Morsi’s government.

Egyptian authorities did not charge him with a crime and did not explain the reasons behind his detention, according to his family.

He was released on Sunday after Egypt’s attorney general issued an order for his release on 29 December. It is not clear why there was a delay of two weeks between the order and his eventual release.

The Qazzaz family released a statement on Sunday celebrating the decision, but cautioned they remain concerned about his health.

“While we celebrate Khaled's freedom, we remain very concerned about his health and reuniting him with his wife, Sarah Attia and their four children in Canada,” a statement read.

“We are all so happy, but it’s not over until he’s home with me and our children,” said his wife Sarah.

“The family has already raised the funds and made the arrangements necessary for him to receive appropriate medical care.  We are hopeful that the Egyptian and Canadian governments will expedite the processing of this humanitarian case so that Khaled can finally come home.”

The statement concluded by thanking all those who have supported Qazzaz while in prison and expressed “hope that they will stand by them [the family] until Khaled is reunited with his children.”

There are more than 40,000 political prisoners in Egypt, according to monitoring group Wikithawra, after a fierce crackdown on dissent led by former army chief turned president Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.