Activist, 2 Others Get Presidential Pardon In Egypt

Afimag.com –

The President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has pardoned a prominent Egyptian activist, Ahmed Douma serving a 15-year jail term and two other prisoners.

According to local media, Douma was sentenced in 2019 to 15 years in prison for rioting and attacking security forces. He led the pro-democracy revolt that overturned autocrat Hosni Mubarak government in 2011.

Delivering the verdict in 2015, the judge said Douma was part of a crowd that broke into parliament and damaged part of it, describing them as doing the work of the “devil.”

Also in July, authorities freed Egyptian rights researcher, Patrick Zaki and lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer after they were pardoned by al-Sisi.

Since late 2021 Egypt has taken a number of steps which it says are aimed at addressing human rights, including amnesties for some prominent prisoners.

However, critics have described the move as lip service, saying arrests have continued.

Egypt’s most prominent activist, Alaa Abd el-Fattah, and many other detainees are still in prison. Authorities have said the arrests were made on security grounds.