(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Jailed Al-Jazeera reporter Mohamed Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian national, has renounced his Egyptian citizenship, his family said on Tuesday, paving the way for his release and deportation under a presidential decree.

The move comes after Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said late on Monday that Fahmy's release was "imminent", following the freeing on Sunday of his Australian colleague Peter Greste.

The two men were jailed along with Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed on charges of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood.