A presidential decree that could see Australian journalist Peter Greste released from a Cairo jail is designed to "relieve the pressure" on Egypt's military regime, a leading opposition figure says.
Egyptian Revolutionary Council chair Maha Azzam wants the international community to hold President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi accountable for human rights violations even if Greste and other foreigners are deported using the decree.
"The Egyptian regime is feeling the pressure ... and trying to find a way out," Dr Azzam told a London press conference organised by the International Coalition for Freedoms and Rights (ICFR).
"It's feeling squeezed but, ultimately, whatever tactic it chooses it still has to be held accountable.
"You can't throw journalists and innocent people in prison and then try to find, tactically, a way out by deporting them or sending them back to their countries of origin and feel that you've dealt with the situation."
The London-based academic said the situation was unprecedented and the regime was attempting to "relieve the pressure ... but the pressure should not be relieved".
Dr Azzam and barrister Toby Cadman, a member of the ICFR, were in Geneva last week for the UN Human Rights Council's periodic review of Egypt.
The pair expressed concern about the international community's relative silence over the situation in Sinai where 10,000 people have been uprooted from their homes.
A large number had been arrested, there were credible allegations of torture in custody "and there have been a number of extra-judicial killings", Mr Cadman said at Thursday's press conference.
In Geneva he and Dr Azzam also called for an international investigation into the August 2013 mass killing of an estimated 700 opposition protesters at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo.
Mr Cadman in London said the periodic review was a PR disaster for the al-Sisi regime
"So some extreme step on their part was clearly needed to try and garner international support and this (the imprisonment of foreign journalists) is the one thing which has unified the international community (against the government)."
The international law expert hopes Greste and others being detained will be sent home under the decree issued on Wednesday.
"We've seen the farcical nature of the trials and regrettably it now falls that we'll have to use a presidential decree like this rather than a proper judicial process," Mr Cadman said.
"But if it sees them released, all the better."
Greste and colleagues Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been detained since late 2013 and are awaiting an appeal hearing set for January 1.
They're accused of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false information.
Al-Sisi has previously said he's unable to take action in the Al-Jazeera case until after a final verdict.
Mr Cadman wants foreign leaders to consider sanctions to force the Egyptian government to respect the human rights of all its citizens.
"There has to be pressure put on the government that if they do not comply with their obligations, if they do not address these very serious concerns, then the international community cannot deal with Egypt on a business-as-usual basis," he said.
