Egypt’s MPs: amnesty for political prisoners

Egyptian members of parliament belong to Al-Jamaa Al-Islamiya’s Building and Development Party, the Wafd Party, the Karama Party and the Salafi Al-Nour Party have submitted a draft law requesting amnesty for political prisoners detained since the assassination of Anwar Al-Sadat until the resignation of former president Hosni Mubarak on February 11, 2011. They have excluded criminal offences and limited their request to political crimes, as long as the goal was to topple the regime. Parliament Speaker Saad Katatny has referred the request to the Suggestions and Complaints Committee. “It is high time those prisoners are released,” said MP Amer Abdel Rehim from the Building and Development Party. “They were charged with attempting to overthrow the regime, which was overthrown already.”