New group of inmates to be pardoned

CAIRO - 22 April 2023: A new group of 1,920 prisoners are eligible to be released in accordance with presidential pardon terms, said Society Protection Sector at the Egyptian Ministry of Interior in a statement on Saturday.

On April 18, 2023, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has ordered pardoning a number of convicts on the occasion of Eid El-Fitr and Sinai Liberation Day, the Official Gazette reported.

For the same occasions, Egypt’s Interior Ministry also decided on Monday to grant two exceptional visits to all prisoners in Egyptian rehabilitation centers nationwide during the period from 22 April to 31 May.

Over the past years, Sisi has pardoned hundreds of inmates on different national and religious occasions every year.

Moreover, Egypt has released hundreds of pretrial detainees and pardoned many prominent figures since President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi launched the National Dialogue and reactivated the Presidential Pardon Committee in April 2022.

Since President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi activated the committee, more than 1,000 pretrial detainees have been released and several convicts received presidential pardons.

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 committee receives pardon requests via many avenues, including through the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR) and the human rights committees of the House of Representatives and Senate.

In addition, the committee receives pardon requests through the National Youth Conference website.