Egyptian authorities to release new batch of pardoned youth ‘within hours’

CAIRO – 30 May 2022: Egyptian authorities will release “within hours” a new batch of youth who have received a presidential pardon, MP Mohamed Abdel Aziz, a member of the Presidential Pardon Committee and deputy head of the House of Representatives said on Monday.

The list includes the names of Ayman Abdel Moaty, Abdel Rasoul Ward, Mohamed Reda El-Sayed Gomaa, Sherif El-Rouby, Mohamed Walid Saad, and Sameh Saoudi.

A batch of the pardoned detainees will be released on Monday and another batch will be released on Thursday, and so on, Abdel Aziz explained.

During the Egyptian family Iftar held in April, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi announced reactivating the Presidential Pardon Committee which was formed as one of the outcomes of the National Youth conference, as it will expand its cooperation with the competent agencies and civil society.

During his speech, Sisi expressed his happiness for the release of new batches of Egyptians during the past days and stressed that the country accommodates everyone.

Over the past weeks, hundreds of inmates, including dozens of human rights activists, have recently been released by the Presidential Pardon Committee.

The committee also affirmed that it is preparing lists containing dozens of names that would be issued very soon.

Sisi in April also directed the National Youth Conference, in coordination with all political parties, to conduct a national political dialogue on the priorities of national actions during the current stage.

A joint impartial committee is set to be formed and be tasked with compiling the outcomes of the national dialogue in a unified preliminary document that will be submitted to the Egyptian president.

Dozens of institutions have already announced willingness to participate in the national dialogue, including the Syndicate of Journalists, the National Council for Women, the Presidential Pardon Committee, and several political parties, including the April 6 Youth Movement.

The national dialogue comes as part of the National Strategy for Human Rights, launched by President Sisi in September.