عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Egypt: Sisi Pardons Several Prisoners including Ahmed Douma

Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma - Reuters
Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma - Reuters
TT
TT

Egypt: Sisi Pardons Several Prisoners including Ahmed Douma

Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma - Reuters
Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma - Reuters

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has pardoned a number of prisoners, including Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, the state TV said on Saturday.

Douma was sentenced in 2019 to 15 years in prison for rioting and attacking security forces.

In delivering his verdict at the time, the judge said Douma was part of a crowd that broke into parliament and damaged part of it.

Last month, authorities also freed Egyptian rights researcher Patrick Zaki and lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer after they were pardoned by al-Sisi.

Since late 2021 Egypt has taken a number of steps which it says are aimed at addressing human rights, including amnesties for some prominent prisoners.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israeli Strikes Kill 22 in Beirut as Hezbollah’s Wafiq Safa Evades Assassination

People gather in front of a damaged building after an Israeli military strike at the Nuwayri area in Beirut, Lebanon, 10 October 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
People gather in front of a damaged building after an Israeli military strike at the Nuwayri area in Beirut, Lebanon, 10 October 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
TT
TT

Israeli Strikes Kill 22 in Beirut as Hezbollah’s Wafiq Safa Evades Assassination

People gather in front of a damaged building after an Israeli military strike at the Nuwayri area in Beirut, Lebanon, 10 October 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
People gather in front of a damaged building after an Israeli military strike at the Nuwayri area in Beirut, Lebanon, 10 October 2024. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH

Israeli strikes killed 22 people and injured more than 100 in central Beirut on Thursday, Lebanese authorities said, as a senior Hezbollah official evaded an Israeli assassination attempt in the city, according to three security sources.

Wafiq Safa, who heads Hezbollah's liaison and coordination unit responsible for working with Lebanese security agencies, was targeted by Israel on Thursday night but survived, the security sources said.

The Israeli strikes hit a densely packed residential neighborhood of apartment buildings and small shops in the heart of Beirut.

Israel did not issue evacuation warnings ahead of the strikes and had not previously attacked the area.

Lebanon's Health Ministry reported 22 people killed and 117 wounded. Among the dead was a family of eight, including three children, who had evacuated from the south, according to a security source.

Reuters witnesses said at least one strike hit near a gas station and a thick column of smoke was visible. 
There was no immediate comment on the incident by Israel.
After Israel killed a series of high-ranking Hezbollah officials in recent weeks, including top leader Hassan Nasrallah, Safa was among the few surviving senior figures as the group's upper echelons struggled to reorganize.

The attempt to kill Safa, whose role merges security and political affairs, marked a widening of Israel's targets among Hezbollah officials, which previously focused on the group’s military commanders and top leaders.