Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he won't be able to speak to the Egyptian president about clemency for jailed Australian journalist Peter Greste until his appeal is exhausted.
Greste and two other Al-Jazeera journalists have filed appeals against their convictions, their network has said in a statement.
Greste, Egyptian-Canadian Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed were convicted in June of aiding the blacklisted Muslim Brotherhood and spreading false news that portrayed Egypt as being in a state of "civil war".
Greste and Fahmy received seven-year terms, while Mohamed was jailed for 10 years, in a case that sparked international outrage.
Speaking on radio 5AA in Adelaide on Friday, Mr Abbott said he was not going to comment on the legal tactics of the Greste family's lawyers.
"I just want to do whatever we reasonably can to get Peter Greste and his colleagues released as quickly as possible."
He said he understood that it was only after all legal processes have been exhausted that there was a possibility of presidential clemency.
"So I rather expected to be on the phone to the president of Egypt soon but, given this appeal, it might take a little longer.
"He is obviously going to say to me `well we have got to see where this appeal goes before I can get involved'."
Al-Jazeera said the case would be heard before the Court of Cassation "which will examine the grounds for hearing a full appeal", but that the date has not yet been set.
It cited as grounds for appeal five key points, including "flaws in the arrest procedure" as well as "the fact that evidence presented in court did not marry with the charges".
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