Egypt releases 550 prisoners, but excludes 'political detainees'

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued pardons for 550 prisoners on Saturday, however, despite previous promises the list of released detainees has failed to include any political prisoners.

The pardons came on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, when prisoner releases often take place in Muslim countries.

"The pardon does not include any political prisoners or any young people convicted in cases of inciting violence or unauthorised protests after 2013. None of them are famous detainees," a source in the interior ministry told The New Arab.

"The decree excludes those convicted in cases of crimes of national security, including crimes related to anti-protest laws."

Last month, Sisi said the Eid pardon would include 300 prisoners with medical conditions and young people who have participated in protests.

"There are no political prisoners in Egypt, there are only people who are held in custody pending investigations," Sisi claimed.

"Only those who carry out violent acts against the state, such as terrorism and bombings, get detained."

Rights' groups accuse Sisi of running an ultra-authoritarian and repressive regime since he deposed his democratically elected Islamist predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Egyptian courts have sentenced hundreds of people to prison terms since the military takeover for participating in peaceful protests or spreading false information.

"Egyptian authorities are using national security threats to crush dissent among Egypt's youth," Human Rights Watch deputy Middle East and North Africa director, Nadim Houry, said in May.

"This is a policy of insecurity, not security, leaving young people unable find the smallest space for peaceful dissent that won’t land them in jail."

Egyptian law prohibits peaceful protests without the approval of the interior ministry.

Sisi issued a presidential decree during the same time last year pardoning 100 prisoners, including al-Jazeera journalists Mohammad Fahmy and Baher Mohammad, as well as activists who had been arrested for violating the protest law.