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.
