Could the Al-Jazeera three be freed sooner than expected? Hopes of their release were prompted at the weekend after Egypt's president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, said he wished they were never put on trial.
He acknowledged that the jailing of Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed had damaged his country's reputation.
He said in a statement published on the website of the newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm: "I wished they were deported immediately after their arrest instead of being put on trial."
Greste's brother, Andrew, gave the comments a cautious welcome. "I'm sure images of Peter in the cage in the court are not images Egypt really want distributed around the world," he told reporters in Brisbane.
Greste, an Australian, was sentenced to seven years, as was the Egyptian-Canadian Fahmy. Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian, got 10 years, and it is difficult to see how he could be deported. The trio were found guilty of spreading false news.
President Sisi has previously said he would not interfere in the court's verdicts.
But he is able to use presidential powers to pardon the journalists, who still have a chance to appeal against the verdict in a higher court.
Andrew Greste said he was not sure if the comments would lead to a resolution. He told Guardian Australia: "There has been international condemnation but now the dust has settled a bit, I hope we can get back to the negotiating table and some serious diplomacy can take place.
"If there's any room to move in Egypt's legal framework, that would be helpful. We all want a resolution to this."
Sources: Reuters/Associated Press/The Guardian (1) and (2)
