At least 2,337 prisoners have been released in Egypt, following a presidential pardon, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
The decision was made to mark Egypt’s 70th annual Police Day which fell on Tuesday.
The Egyptian president, according to the country’s constitution, can issue pardon decrees for prisoners who had received final unappealable court rulings.
The president usually issues a pardon decree on public holidays, including two religious Muslim festivals, the holy month of Ramadan, and the July 23 Revolution Day.
El-Sisi extolled police officers who have continued to safeguard the security, stability nationwide and fighting terrorism. He added that their efforts are a good demonstration of police officers’ awareness of the value of belonging to the country.
He stressed that Egypt would not have been able to “walk on the path of comprehensive development without the sacrifices of police officers and the armed forces.”
National Police Day marks resistance by Egyptian police to British occupation forces attack on a police station in Ismailia city on the Suez Canal on 25 January, 1952, which resulted in the death and injury of dozens of police officers.