Egypt on Tuesday released 1,686 prisoners on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The decision was made based on a previous presidential decree to pardon a large number of prisoners who had met the required conditions on release, according to the statement.
Usually, the president issues a decree for pardoning prisoners on public holidays and feasts, including two religious Muslim feasts, the holy month of Ramadan, and the July 23 Revolution anniversary.
According to the constitution, the president has the right to pardon convicted prisoners in certain crimes except for arms trafficking, terrorism, revenge killing, and trading in heroin. (Xinhua/NAN)