President Sisi pardons researcher Patrick Zaki, lawyer Mohamed El Baqer

CAIRO – 19 July 2023:  Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al Sisi pardoned on Wednesday number of detainees, including researcher and human rights activist Patrick Zaki, along with lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer.

In December 2021, El-Baqer was sentenced into jail for four years after being accused of joining a terrorist group and spreading false new.

lawyer Mohamed El-Baqer

On Tuesday, Egypt’s National Dialogue Board of Trustees urged President Sisi to use his legal, constitutional powers to release researcher Patrick George Zaki, who was sentenced to three years in prison over accusations of ‘spreading false news’

According to General Coordinator of the National Dialogue Diaa Rashwan, the statement urged President Sisi to pardon Zaki from implementing the sentence ruled against him, on Tuesday, in order to allow him to finish his studies. ‘As he managed to obtained a master's degree just a few days ago’, The statement stated.

The Board of Trustees of the Dialogue concluded their statement saying that the “President's decision to pardon Zaki will add new confirmation to his continued keenness to provide more elements of a positive atmosphere for the success of the national dialogue.”

Egypt has lunched The National Dialogue, as per President Abdel Fattah al Sisi call in April 2020, which opened several 'closed doors' in regard to political discussions and freedoms.

Sisi said that Egypt is a 'home' for everyone regardless our political differences and that everyone should be having discussions regarding these differences to come out with results that will benefit all of the Egyptians.