Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has granted a presidential pardon to prominent activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, one of the most high-profile figures from the 2011 uprising.
The 43-year-old British-Egyptian was pardoned on Monday alongside five others, according to Al-Qahera News.
The outlet said the president had approved the pardon “after taking the constitutional and legal procedures in this regard.”
Abdel Fattah rose to prominence during Egypt’s 2011 uprising that toppled long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak.
His latest arrest came in 2019, when he was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of “spreading false news.”
Monday’s pardon followed a series of legal and political steps.
Last week, a Cairo criminal court removed Alaa Abdel Fattah from “Egypt’s terrorism list”, saying investigations found no evidence linking him to the Muslim Brotherhood, which was outlawed by the current Egyptian government.
Days later, Sisi asked officials to review a petition by the National Council for Human Rights seeking pardons for a number of detainees, including Abdel Fattah.
