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CAIRO, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree on Thursday to pardon 82 prisoners, mostly university students, official MENA news agency reported.
The president's move came in response to a recent national youth conference where he ordered the formation of a youth committee to study controversial cases involving young prisoners, mostly related to protests and opinions.
Islam al-Beheiry, a controversial TV presenter and Islamic researcher who was sentenced to one year in prison over blasphemy of Muslim traditional preachers, was also on the pardon list.
Another batch of youth prisoners is expected to be released within a few days via a similar presidential decree, which will be issued after Sisi consults the cabinet.
The Egyptian president does not have the right to interfere with the judiciary but according to Article 155 of the constitution, the president is entitled to issue pardons for those handed jail terms in the final verdict after consulting the cabinet. Enditem
