Among them is the activist Haitham Mohamadin Egypt releases 46 pre-trial prisoners

Members of the Presidential Pardon Committee in Egypt announced, on Thursday, the release of 46 persons in pretrial detention, including prominent labor activist, Haitham Mohamadin, bringing the number of those released by judicial decisions or presidential pardons in opinion cases to about 243.

On Thursday, members of the Presidential Amnesty Committee in Egypt announced the issuance of a decision by the Public Prosecution to release 46 persons from pretrial detention, including prominent labor activist Haitham Mohamadin.

This came in statements issued by the members of the committee, the leftist lawyer Tariq Al-Awadi, and the two deputies, Tariq Al-Khouli, and Muhammad Abdel Aziz, in a new list of the committee's work that was reactivated by a presidential decision last April.

Al-Awadi said, in a statement via Facebook: "Praise be to God, the release of 46 pre-trial detainees by a decision of the Public Prosecution, including Haitham Muhammedin."

He listed a list of those released in cases dating back to 2020 and 2021, thanking the Presidency, the Public Prosecution and the Ministry of Interior, without further details.

He pointed out that "these decisions issued are highly valued and we are all working on their continuity."

While Al-Khouli and Abdel Aziz confirmed the same thing, in two statements via Facebook, thanking the presidency, the prosecution and the concerned authorities.

According to Egyptian law, the Public Prosecutor has the authority to release pretrial detainees, while the president of the country has the right to pardon all or part of the punishment for those who have received final judgments.

The release is carried out by a decision of the security authorities, either from the police departments affiliated to the released person's home or places of detention, provided that he is not subject to other provisions or is wanted in other cases.

The work of the presidential pardon committee was activated in April, with its re-formation under a presidential directive, coinciding with the call of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the time to start the first national dialogue since he came to power in the summer of 2014.

With the new list, which was preceded on Wednesday by the release of the Qatari Al-Jazeera journalist, Ahmed Al-Najdi, the number of "released and released" by judicial decisions or presidential pardons in "cases of opinion and expression" rises to no less than 243 since last April 24.

While unofficial estimates indicate that the number has reached 800, without specifying the number of opponents among them, as the authorities usually say that they "do not distinguish between one prisoner and another, and everyone has the same."

Haitham Mohamadin had been in pretrial detention since May 2019 after he was arrested while performing the precautionary measures period in the Saf Police Department. Another case owed.

In the two cases, Haitham Mohamadin faced charges of broadcasting, publishing and broadcasting false news and statements that would harm national security, misusing a social media method (Facebook), and participating in a terrorist group.