Egypt Pardons 1,920 Prisoners in Honor of Sinai Liberation Day

A presidential pardon for prisoners in Egypt (Egyptian Interior Ministry)
A presidential pardon for prisoners in Egypt (Egyptian Interior Ministry)
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Egypt Pardons 1,920 Prisoners in Honor of Sinai Liberation Day

A presidential pardon for prisoners in Egypt (Egyptian Interior Ministry)
A presidential pardon for prisoners in Egypt (Egyptian Interior Ministry)

Egypt released on Sunday 1,920 prisoners after a presidential pardon in honor of Eid Al-Fitr and Sinai Liberation Day.

The Ministry of Interior said that the community protection committees held meetings to determine who is qualified for a pardon during a ceremony held for the first time inside a rehabilitation and correctional center.

The committees released 1,920 inmates within the framework of the Ministry's keenness to implement the punitive policy to provide care for the inmates and activate the executive role of the methods of releasing the convicts who have been qualified.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Amnesty Committee continued to receive requests from families of political activists and debtors, parties, and community entities to release other prisoners.

The Pardon Committee announces lists of pardons for detainees.

Authorities released earlier dozens of detainees pending various cases in parallel with the launch of the National Dialogue under the auspices of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

The President reconstituted the "Presidential Amnesty Committee" last April and called for a national dialogue among the various political factions, except the Muslim Brotherhood organization, which is classified as "terrorist."

According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior, Egyptians received the initiative well.

The Ministry said the initiative comes in light of continuing to enhance the spirit of active participation with citizens, confirming its keenness to activate the social role in securing various occasions and celebrations.



UK Lifts Sanctions on Syrian Central Bank and Petroleum Firms

A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. (Reuters)
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UK Lifts Sanctions on Syrian Central Bank and Petroleum Firms

A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. (Reuters)
A general view of the commercial harbor of Syria's coastal city of Tartous, Syria, December 14, 2024. (Reuters)

Britain unfroze the assets of Syria's central bank and 23 other entities including banks and oil companies on Thursday, reversing sanctions imposed during Bashar al-Assad's presidency.

The West is rethinking its approach to Syria after opposition forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group ousted Assad as president in December after more than 13 years of civil war.

"We are lifting asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities that were previously used by the Assad regime to fund the oppression of the Syrian people," a foreign office spokesperson said.

"At the same time, sanctions on members of the Assad regime and those involved in the illicit trade in captagon remain in place."

Captagon in an addictive amphetamine-like stimulant widely produced in Syria during Assad's rule.

A notice posted on the British government website said entities including the central bank, the Commercial Bank of Syria and the Agricultural Cooperative Bank had been delisted and were no longer subject to an asset freeze.

Syrian Arab Airlines, Syrian Petroleum Company, Syria Trading Oil Company (SYTROL) and Overseas Petroleum Trading were also among those delisted.

Syria's Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has called repeatedly for the lifting of Western sanctions that were imposed to isolate Assad during the civil war.

Last month, the European Union eased restrictions on the Syrian central bank while keeping in place the sanctions. The US has said its sanctions on the central bank remain in place.

A Syrian government media official did not immediately respond to a request for comment.