Sisi pardons 300 prisoners

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi issued a decree to pardon 300 prisoners within the next few days.

“The list of pardons includes journalists, prisoners with medical conditions and youth who participated in protests,” Al-Sisi said during an interview with the country’s three main state-owned newspapers.

He denied that Egypt detains political prisoners: “There are no political prisoners in Egypt, there are only people who are held in custody pending investigations.”

“Only those who carry out violent acts against the state, such as terrorism and bombings, get detained.”

“We’re more keen on human rights and freedoms in our country than those who talk about it abroad,” he said.

According to local reports some of the activists expected to be released are Ahmed Maher and Mohamed Adel, two leading members of the April 6 Youth Movement who served three quarters of their sentence.

Human rights activists say some 200 people have died in “inhumane conditions” in Egyptian prisons including 40 political opponents.