CAIRO, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced Wednesday a presidential pardon for more than 330 imprisoned young people on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Sisi told a youth conference that a presidential pardon committee provided a list of jailed young people worthy of presidential pardon before he signed his approval.
"We signed approval for the group provided by the committee, including more than 330 prisoners. I hope the interior minister allows these young people to have the pre-fasting meal today at their homes," the Egyptian president said at the fifth youth conference held in Cairo.
The presidential pardon committee was formed as a recommendation of the first youth conference held in late October 2016 in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Sisi similarly pardoned 82 prisoners, mostly university students, in November 2016, and 203 in March 2017.
Thousands have been jailed in Egypt since the country witnessed a state of instability and lack of security, including chaotic protests and clashes, following the military removal of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.
President Sisi, who led Morsi's ouster as the army chief then, has repeatedly expressed awareness of the presence of wrongfully imprisoned people and promised to work on their release.?
