President El-Sisi orders release of 2,777 prisoners in holiday pardon

In celebration of Eid al-Fitr and the upcoming Sinai Liberation Day, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has issued presidential decree granting a pardon to 2,777 prisoners, the Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday.

The decision, part of a long-standing tradition of issuing pardons during major national and religious occasions, allows selected inmates to be released early as a gesture of goodwill and reconciliation.

The mass release coincides with the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which began on March 31 and run through April 2, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the start of Shawwal 1446 AH in the Islamic calendar.

The pardon also comes ahead of Sinai Liberation Day, commemorated annually on April 25, which marks the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Sinai Peninsula in 1982.

Egypt’s Ministry of Interior emphasized that the release followed thorough reviews to ensure that those granted clemency met the legal and humanitarian criteria.

The gesture is seen as both a symbol of national unity and a step toward reintegration for those released.