98 students, senior citizens pardoned for Eid
General Prosecutor Hesham Barakat pardoned 98 students and senior citizens held pending investigations into charges of assembly, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the state-owned Middle East News Agency reported.
Forty-five students will be released, “in consideration of their academic futures,” and 53 seniors, due to their health conditions or social status.
Hundreds have been detained for violating the Protest Law, issued last November by former president Adly Mansour, causing uproar among human rights organizations.
The controversial law regulates the right to assemble and protest in public spaces and also requires that demonstration organizers send a request to the nearest police station at least seven days ahead of the protest, detailing its route, start and finish time, goals and the names of its organizers.
Harsh prison sentences and heavy fines have been imposed on violators of the law.
Most recently, activist Alaa Abd El Fattah and 24 others were sentenced to 15 years in jail in absentia, a LE100,000 fine and five years surveillance for violating the Protest Law.
Activist Mahienour al-Massry was also recently sentenced to two years in prison for protesting in Alexandria. Her sentence was reduced to six months after appeal last week.
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