Ahead of Eid-ul Adha, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi today pardoned a jailed Canadian journalist with Al-Jazeera along several others charged with violating the controversial protest law.
The detainees included Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy, the Egyptian-Canadian journalist, who was sentenced to three years in prison last August for joining the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, and spreading false news intended to harm the national security.
Fahmy has given up his Egyptian citizenship.
The pardon, which comes ahead of Eid-ul Adha on September 25, includes 100 sick and elderly prisoners and a number of activists. The list of pardoned prisoners also include Sanaa Seif and Yara Sallam, who were accused of breaking protest law.
Egypt's controversial protest law was passed in November 2013 and states that protesters have to give the authorities a three-day notice before protesting.
Violators face hefty fines and prison sentences. The President traditionally pardoned groups of prisoners on national and religious holidays.
