Egyptian politician Khaled Dawoud, activist Hossam Mones hail pardoning of former MP Ziad El-Eleimy

CAIRO – 24 October 2022: Renowned Egyptian politician Khaled Dawoud and political activist Hossam Mones hailed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s decision to pardon lawyer and former MP Ziad El-Eleimy on Monday.

In a Facebook post, Mones thanked everyone who has worked on Eleimy’s release.

Mones was pardoned last April after being convicted in the case known as “Hope Cell,” along with Eleimy and 11 others. The Hope Cell defendants faced charges including spreading false news.

Hope Cell defendants were arrested in June 2019 and received final prison sentences late last year. Eleimy was sentenced to five years in prison in the case.

Dawoud, a journalist and former leader of the Constitution Party of Egypt, congratulated Eleimy, saying his release proves the political leadership’s seriousness in making the National Dialogue a success.

Dawoud also reportedly called for pardoning renowned activists Alaa Abdel Fattah, Ahmed Doma, Mohamed El-Baqer, and Mohamed Oxygen.

The Egyptian Social Democratic Party hailed Eleimy’s release, affirming the importance of the presidential pardons released over the past period in ensuring the success of the National Dialogue.

In April, President Sisi reactivated the Presidential Pardon Committee, formed in 2016, and ordered launching the National Dialogue to reach common grounds on national priorities.

Presidential Pardon Committee member Tarek El-Awadi said since April 1,040 pretrial detainees have been released and 12 convicts were pardoned.

The president pardoned on Monday El-Eleimy along with two other convicts, namely Amr Ragab and Mohamed El-Gohary, according to the Official Gazette.