Some 218 prisoners have been pardoned by a presidential decree to commemorate the 6th of October War, the Ministry of Interior announced Tuesday.
The 218 inmates were all convicted on charges related to debt and the inability to repay debtors. None of those released have been identified as having any political dimension to their case.
The ministry said that besides the 218 pardoned, another 113 will be released from similar charges. The second group are comprised of those who had been charged, but had not been prosecuted as of yet. They will be released on the basis of undisclosed conditions.
The ministry said that it will continue to encourage the individuals to repay their debts to their debtors.
In September, activists Sanaa Seif and Yara Sallam were among a group of 100 young political detainees that were released from prison, through a customary presidential pardon granted for 100 prisoners on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha.
Young Egyptians and family members of the pardoned, as well as journalists and human rights advocates rejoiced and welcomed the former detainees as they were coming out of the Borg El-Arab, Damanhour, Tora and Qanater prisons.
Those imprisoned and released were convicted in several cases, including the Itihadiya protest case under the controversial Protest Law of 2013.
Critics, however, including some of the released, said the pardons were a political stunt before President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s trip to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
