Egypt releases 25 pre-trial detainees

The Egyptian authorities released 25 pre-trial detainees on Sunday, Anadolu has reported. The release was announced by two members of the country’s Presidential Pardon Committee.

Tariq Al-Awadi said on Facebook that 25 families will be happy for the return of their loved ones. He added that he wished that the remaining detainees could be free, without mentioning how many there are. He revealed the names of the 25 who have been freed without saying what charges they had faced.

Another member of the committee, Parliamentarian Tariq Al-Khouli, also used Facebook to confirm the detainees’ release. He gave no further details.

The Presidential Pardon Committee was formed in April under a presidential directive and coincided with a call by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to launch the first national dialogue since he took office in 2014. He was behind a military coup in 2013 which overthrew democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi.

So far, at least 405 political activists and detainees have been released since Al-Sisi launched his call. However, unofficial estimates suggest that the number may be as high as 800. Sunday’s batch is the sixth to be released within 31 days.

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