Pardon requests in Egypt now reviewed at faster pace: Presidential Pardon Committee member

CAIRO – 17 September 2022: Member of Egypt’s Presidential Pardon Committee Mohamed Abdel Aziz said the pardon requests are currently reviewed at a faster pace in a message of reassurance to families.

Batches of inmates receiving presidential pardons have become successive and at close intervals, Abdel Aziz said, affirming that the committee is keen to review all requests to release all those who did not engage in violent acts.

Abdel Aziz thanked President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for launching the National Dialogue in April, which started with activating the Presidential Pardon Committee, originally formed in 2016.

He added that the goal of the dialogue is to find common grounds among different parties and deliver a message that steps of building the new republic are interconnected in accordance with a unified vision.

The Egyptian authorities released on Thursday another group of 46 pretrial detainees as per a decision by the Public Prosecution, including renowned lawyer Haitham Mohamedin.

The Egyptian Prosecution’s decisions to release a number of pretrial detainees give further momentum to the National Dialogue, said dialogue coordinator, Diaa Rashwan.

In remarks during his TV program “Masr Jadida” on ETC, Rashwan said the prosecution’s decisions encourage further parties of different orientations to conduct the dialogue.

He added that the next period will see consecutive releases.

Egypt has released hundreds of inmates over the past month since President Sisi called for a national dialogue in April, including pretrial detainees and pardoned inmates.

The Presidential Pardon Committee aims to release young prisoners of conscience and reintegrate them into society.