The parents of jailed Australian journalist Peter Greste have new hope that intervention by the Egyptian president could see their son home for Christmas.
But the hope of Lois and Juris Greste is tempered by the frustrations experienced over the past 11 months.
"We have had very promising indications before that Peter will be back home with his family very, very soon," Juris Greste told reporters in Brisbane on Friday.
"We just have to remain patient and hope for the best."
The latest beacon of hope was lit by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi comments when he told French media pardons for Peter Greste and another journalist was "under study".
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In addition, Mr Sisi last week signed a decree allowing for the extradition of foreigners charged with a crime or sentenced in Egypt.
The Australian journalist has been behind bars since he and two Al-Jazeera colleagues were arrested for allegedly supporting the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood last December.
The trio was handed sentences of between seven and 10 years in June, prompting international outrage.
The recent decree was surrounded by uncertainty and obscurity, Juris Greste said.
"We haven't received any clarification from the embassy or our lawyers."
On Friday, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was cautious about the talk of presidential intervention.
"If there is a move for (Mr Greste) to be released earlier we certainly welcome it," she said.
Australia had been making representations at the highest level and Egyptian authorities had previously indicated the appeal process, to begin on January 1, would need to run its course before any pardon could be made, Ms Bishop said.
Mr and Mrs Greste issued a direct appeal to the president on Friday.
"We realise that the decision to free Peter isn't entirely in your hands alone, but please please see to it that Peter is back with his family before Christmas," Mr Greste said.
The couple will fly to Cairo next week to mark Peter's birthday on December 1.
The award-winning foreign correspondent continued to be sustained by an outpouring of support, Mr Greste said.
He said while he was comfortable with the idea of pressure, they were not the kind of family that got things done by "twisting people's arms".
"We would like to think we have advocated hard enough and driven our case and our argument persuasively enough for the Egyptian authorities finally to see that enough is enough."
