The President of Egypt is to pardon political prisoners post revolution

Egypt’s President, Mohammed Mursi, has announced he will free certain people arrested during an uprise...

15:06 09 October 2012

The President of Egypt has declared there is to be a pardon for many political prisoners who were arrested during the time his predecessor’s office ended and his began. The announcement came on Monday and nods to a ‘support of the revolution’.

 

It is not known how many prisoners will be released, but it is thought that murderers will not be included on the pardon list. According to reports, this will relate to people who were arrested from late January 2011 to the end of June 2012. These dates mark the period of the revolution that took place.

 

The former president, Hosni Mubarak, stood down from his post in February 2011 due to an uprising which saw almost three weeks of activity where hundreds of people lost their lives.

 

The BBC explains in a report that the ‘comprehensive pardon’ relates to the individuals who were charged or convicted for "crimes and misdemeanours or attempts to commit them in support of the revolution and the realisation of its goals".

 

President Mursi used his Facebook page to express his feelings, with a comment on his wall stating that the amnesty is “in support of the revolution”.