The Ministry of Interior issued pardons on Sunday for 142 prisoners on the occasion of National Police Day and the anniversary of the 25 January revolution.
An additional 335 prisoners were granted conditional releases.
According to a statement from the ministry, the prison service sector made selections to examine the files of prisoners across the nation to determine the most suitable cases that deserve pardoning.
The statement added the pardons are part of the ministry’s “keenness to apply the modern concept of the penal policy.”
The ministry grants pardons to prisoners on a regular basis, usually coinciding with major religious and national occasions.
According to the constitution، the president has the right to issue pardons for convicted prisoners after consulting with the cabinet.
In a similar context, Khaled Al-Saqa, member of the presidential committee to pardon youth prisoners, said that there are several meetings being held with ministers, non-governmental organsisations, and parliament members to integrate freed prisoners back into society. The committee will meet on Monday to discuss steps to begin the reintegration.
In September, the committee, headed by Osama Ghazali Harb, said that it began discussing setting a plan to return prisoners who were previously released back to their studies or work.
In October, Minister of Interior Magdy Abdel Ghaffar granted prisoners an exceptional visit, in celebration of the anniversary of the Sixth of October War of 1973.
In Early September, the ministry pardoned 211 prisoners in celebration of the Islamic Eid Al-Adha holiday. The decision came through Presidential Decree No. 280 of 2017.
