A presidential committee tasked with investigating the case of civilians convicted in military trials between 25 January 2011 and 30 June 2012 has submitted a proposal to the presidency for a law that pardons all the people involved in cases related to the revolution and who were indicted by the civilian judiciary, sources within the committee told Al-Masry Al-Youm Wednesday.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, estimated the number of those detainees at 2,500 to 3,000 people. The amnesty law would close the door to further lawsuits concerning incidents related to the revolution and overturn rulings issued against revolutionaries, the sources said.
The law would also address other revolution-related rulings issued after 30 June 2012, the period set by president for the work of the committee, according to the sources.
The sources said the proposed law would encompass crimes of illegal assembly, assault on civil servants, and blocking roads and government institutions, as well as the possession of bladed weapons.
It was natural for citizens to carry weapons to defend themselves against “thuggery” because of the “security vacuum” after the revolution, the sources explained.
Individuals with criminal records, however, would not be eligible for pardon.
The sources said the issuance of an amnesty law would provide a non-traditional solution to cases related to revolutionaries since it would solve several legal problems that the committee faced in its work, such as the failure by some courts to issue a ruling in cases related to the incidents of the revolution.
Also, the committee, known as the Committee for the Protection of Personal freedoms, submitted a report to the presidency Wednesday on the civilians indicted in military cases who have remained in prison after the committee excluded them from a request for pardon for their involvement in attacks on citizens, properties or other past crimes.
The sources said the report includes detailed information about the 1,100 civilians who remain in military prisons.
Hundreds of prisoners were released in July as part of Morsy’s pardon for civilians who had been tried before military courts in events related to last year’s protests and uprising. In August, Morsy pardoned a second wave of civilians convicted in military trials, following recommendations of the committee.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
