Cairo – Egypt released on Monday jailed security expert Ismail Alexandrani after his 10-year sentence was commuted in October, according to lawyer Khaled Ali.
Alexandrani, whose incarceration since 2015 became a symbol of the repression of academics, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2018.
“Ismail Alexandrani has been released, he is now free,” Ali, a prominent rights advocate and former presidential candidate, wrote on social media.
Alexandrani, an expert on jihadist movements in Egypt’s restive Sinai peninsula, was accused of publishing military secrets and belonging to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
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In October, his sentence was commuted to seven years.
Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, draws regular criticism over its rights record.
Despite recent presidential pardons and the release of several high-profile dissidents, the moves have been met with scepticism.
A total of 766 political prisoners have been released since April this year, though close to double that number have been arrested over the same period, according to data compiled by Amnesty International.
Rights groups estimate the country holds some 60 000 political prisoners.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/@maitelsadany
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