Updated

Canada's foreign minister says the release of Egyptian-Canadian Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy from a prison in Egypt is "imminent"

Foreign Minister John Baird made the remark to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday, a day after Al-Jazeera's Australian journalist Peter Greste was released after more than a year in prison.

Greste, Fahmy and Egyptian Baher Mohammed were arrested in December 2013 and later convicted over their coverage of the violent crackdown on Islamist protests that year.

Baird didn't say if imminent meant hours or days. A spokesman for Baird declined further comment.

Baird spoke with his Egyptian counterpart on Sunday and said he welcomed the release of Greste, calling it a positive development. He noted that he remained hopeful that Fahmy's case will be resolved in "short order."