Egypt: Morsi Pardons Uprising Detainees
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi decided on Monday to pardon all those arrested during the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak last year and until June 2012, when he came to power. In a decree published on his official Facebook page, the president announced amnesty for acts “committed to support the revolution and achieve its objectives in the period from 25 January 2011 to 30 June 2012, except crimes of murder.”
The “25 January Revolution” started when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians protested tirelessly to demand the departure of the dictatorial regime of Hosni Mubarak, who was forced to resign.
The amnesty covers those already convicted by the law and those who are still under investigation or are on trial, according to the statement.
This decree comes 100 days after the accession to power of Mr. Morsi, the first Egyptian president to be freely elected. He is also the first head of state who is Islamist and civilian as all his predecessors came from the ranks of the army.
The decision comes on the eve of the first anniversary of the events called “Maspero”, in which a score of protesters were killed in clashes with police during a rally of Copts (Christians of Egypt) who were protesting against the burning of a church.
Morsi in July had ordered the release of 572 people indicted by the military justice and ordered the creation of a commission to investigate cases of civilians tried by the military.
