Egypt frees 1,056 prisoners under presidential pardon

CAIRO/ISTANBUL

Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced Wednesday that 1,056 prisoners have been released under a presidential pardon.

The ministry said the move came as part of the implementation of a decision by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi “regarding the pardon of the remainder of sentences for certain convicted individuals who meet the conditions for amnesty, on the occasion of the anniversary of the July 23, 1952 revolution,” which ended the monarchy.

It said review committees were formed to examine inmates’ files across the country to identify those eligible for release under the pardon.

The committees concluded that “the decision applies to 1,056 inmates who qualify for early release,” without providing further details on the criteria for eligibility.

The ministry did not disclose the total number of prisoners in Egypt. However, presidential pardons for inmates are issued periodically.