Egypt pardons more prisoners

Egypt’s Presidential Pardon Committee announced on Monday that it is working to finalise measures to release 31 prisoners held on remand by the security agencies. The committee stressed that it will continue its work to release more prisoners and resettle them in society.

“Coordination is underway with the various state bodies in order to release the detainees,” it explained. “At the top these institutions are the state prosecution service and the Interior Ministry.”

No details have yet emerged about the prisoners to be released, but one of them was identified by a member of the Pardon Committee as Hassan Mustafa. The activist has been held on remand since 2019 over claims of spreading fake news.

According to available data, all were accused of crimes in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. The first batch of pardoned prisoners this year consisted of 17 remand detainees who were released on 1 January.

The Presidential Pardon Committee extended its thanks to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, Public Prosecutor Hamada El-Sawi and the Interior Ministry for their sincere efforts to finalise the release procedures.

READ: Egypt releases 30 pretrial detainees