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Egyptian Presidential Pardon to Release New Batches of Prisoners

Prisoners are released as part of the presidential pardon. (Presidential Pardon committee)
Prisoners are released as part of the presidential pardon. (Presidential Pardon committee)
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Egyptian Presidential Pardon to Release New Batches of Prisoners

Prisoners are released as part of the presidential pardon. (Presidential Pardon committee)
Prisoners are released as part of the presidential pardon. (Presidential Pardon committee)

The Presidential Pardon committee in Egypt announced that 1,300 prisoners have been release since it was established in 2022, pledging to release new batches soon.

President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi had reactivated the committee in April 2022 when he called for "national dialogue" on various political, economic, and societal issues.

Lawyer and member of the Committee Tarek el-Awadi said about 1,300 prisoners had been released so far, expecting more to be released by the holy month of Ramadan, which begins later in March.

In televised remarks on Wednesday, he said the committee has set a number of criteria for a prisoner to be eligible for a pardon, including not to be convicted or violent crimes or murder.

The committee has stressed that it refuses the release of any prisoner who poses a threat.

Committee member and lawmaker Tariq al-Khouli, explained in previous statements that there were two criteria to release any detainee, noting that they should not be affiliated with any terrorist organization or involved in acts of violence.

The committee receives appeals from families of political activists, party members, and community entities for the release of some figures.

On Wednesday, the committee announced it was freeing 33 new pre-trial detainees.

Awadi revealed that the committee will continue its work until all prisoners are released.

The committee is keen on the social integration of the released detainees, which has been mandated by the president.

Al-Khouli underlined the importance of social integration that will help the released prisoners avoid “falling victim to social circumstances.”

He added that communication is maintained with the detainees to ensure that they can confront challenges that may be encountered by any individual.

The most common challenge they face is finding job opportunities or returning to their previous positions, he explained.

Al-Khouli indicated that the committee contacted ministries and various agencies to reinstate released detainees in they had previously held posts in the public sector. They also reached out to the civil society and private sector to provide them with job opportunities if that was the case.

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Israel Turbocharges West Bank Settlement Expansion with Largest Land Grab in Decades

A picture taken in the village of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah city shows the nearby Israeli Shilo settlement in the background, in the occupied West Bank on February 18, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A picture taken in the village of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah city shows the nearby Israeli Shilo settlement in the background, in the occupied West Bank on February 18, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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Israel Turbocharges West Bank Settlement Expansion with Largest Land Grab in Decades

A picture taken in the village of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah city shows the nearby Israeli Shilo settlement in the background, in the occupied West Bank on February 18, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
A picture taken in the village of Turmus Ayya near Ramallah city shows the nearby Israeli Shilo settlement in the background, in the occupied West Bank on February 18, 2024. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Israel has approved the largest seizure of land in the occupied West Bank in over three decades, a settlement tracking group said Wednesday, a move that is likely to worsen already soaring tensions linked to the war in Gaza.

Israel's aggressive expansion in the West Bank reflects the settler community's strong influence in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the most religious and nationalist in the country's history. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler himself, has turbocharged the policy of expansion, seizing new authorities over settlement development and saying he aims to solidify Israel's hold on the territory and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, The AP reported.

Authorities recently approved the appropriation of 12.7 square kilometers (nearly 5 square miles) of land in the Jordan Valley, according to a copy of the order obtained by The Associated Press. Data from Peace Now, the tracking group, indicate it was the largest single appropriation approved since the 1993 Oslo accords at the start of the peace process.

Settlement monitors said the land grab connects Israeli settlements along a key corridor bordering Jordan, a move they said undermines the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called it “a step in the wrong direction,” adding that “the direction we want to be heading is to find a negotiated two-state solution.”
The newly seized land is in an area of the West Bank where, even before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, settler violence was displacing communities of Palestinians. That violence has only surged since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack ignited the war in Gaza. Settlers have carried out more than 1,000 attacks on Palestinians since October in the West Bank, causing deaths and damaging property, according to the UN.

The land seizure, which was approved late last month but only publicized on Wednesday, comes after the seizure of 8 square kilometers (roughly 3 square miles) of land in the West Bank in March and 2.6 square kilometers (1 square mile) in February.

That makes 2024 by far the peak year for Israeli land seizure in the West Bank, Peace Now said.

By declaring them state lands, the government opens them up to being leased to Israelis and prohibits private Palestinian ownership. This year's land seizures are contiguous, linking two already existing settlements to create a solid block near the border with Jordan. The lands were declared to be closed Israeli military zones before they were declared state land.

The Palestinians view the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank as the main barrier to any lasting peace agreement, preventing any possibility of a cohesive state. Most of the international community considers settlements illegal or illegitimate.