Egypt’s NCHR praises president Sisi decision pardoning former MP Zyad EL Elaimy

 

In a statement, NCHR president,  Ambassador Moushira Khattab welcomed the presidential decree.

 

The Council also said that the releases confirms that the political leadership attaches great importance to closing the file of pretrial detention and those convicted in cases related to freedom of opinion and expression, especially ‘after the release of more than a thousand prisoners in the framework of the presidential pardon committee in the recent period. 

 

The National Council for Human Rights also appreciates the move towards studying the application of alternative penalties to imprisonment in cases of opinion and expression, which confirms that the Egyptian state is taking serious steps in reforming political life.

 

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al Sisi pardoned on Monday politician, former parliamentarian Zyad El Elaimy who was sentenced in 2021 to 5 years in prison for charges of spreading false news.

 

The decree no. 510 of 2022 for releasing Elaimy comes in response to appeals by political parties and the presidential pardon commission.

 

The decision is part of the president's efforts to activate the work of the pardon commission.

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, formed in 2016 and reactivated by Sisi in April, aims to release young prisoners of conscience and reintegrate them into society.

 

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.