Two prominent Egyptian rights figures are released from prison following presidential pardons
By JACK JEFFERY and SAMY MAGDY
Associated Press
CAIRO (AP) — Relatives and a rights defender say two prominent figures from Egypt’s human rights community have been released from prison. The releases of Patrick George Zaki, an activist and postgraduate student in Italy, and Mohamed el-Baker, a human rights lawyer, on Thursday came a day after they were pardoned by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. Egypt has pardoned dozens of detainees in recent months after its human rights record came under international scrutiny. Zaki had been sentenced to three years in prison earlier this week over an opinion article he wrote in 2019. El-Baker had been charged with disseminating false news, misuse of social media and joining a terrorist group.