Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi issued a power-of-law decree and a blanket pardon for all detainees held during the events of the January 25 revolution and beyond. These include all pro-revolution events and activities from the 25th of January 2011 to June 30, 2012 when Dr. Morsi assumed the Presidency. The President’s move has earned wide acclamation from various quarters. Abdel-Moneim Abdel-Maksoud, senior lawyer and member of Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), on October 10 affirmed that the power-of-law decree issued by Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi to release detainees is a historic decision that represents a victory for the January 25 revolution, its youths and all those who supported it. He further said that the President’s decree is an unprecedented legal step to resolve the issue of all those arrested and prosecuted in civilian and military courts.
In a press statement, the senior lawyer said: “This decree is based on the constitutional declarations issued on February 13, 2011 and March 30, 2011 and August 12, 2012, and on the penal code and criminal proceedings laws as well as the recommendation of the committee formed by Presidential Decree No. 5 of 2012.
For his part, journalist Hamdi Qandil praised President Morsi’s bold decision to pardon the revolution’s political prisoners, pointing that revolutionaries and rights figures had been waiting eagerly for such a decree for so long. In a Tweet, Qandil said: “The January 25 revolutionaries have not waited for any decision so much as they have awaited the President’s decision now to pardon all pro-revolution civilian and military detainees and prisoners”.
Dr. Mustafa Naggar, political activist and member of the now dissolved People’s Assembly for the ‘Adl Party’, said: “I salute the President for this decision which everyone awaited for such a long time. This is an important step that puts an end to an issue that caused a lot of worry to a lot of Egyptian families and many revolutionaries”.
In a blog post, Mahmoud Afifi, spokesman for the April 6 Movement, said: “President Morsi’s power-of-law decree to pardon prisoners of the revolution who were held from January 25, 2011 to June 30, 2012 is the most fabulous, commendable decision that deserves our sincere admiration and congratulations.
Meanwhile, Negad Al-Boraei, human rights activist and head of the United Group, said: “The decision opens the door for societal reconciliation, and confirms President Morsi’s commitment to honoring his promises to the Egyptian people.