Egypt

Son of blind sheikh released from Egyptian prison

After seven years in jail, Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman's eldest son, Mohamed, has been released from an Egyptian prison.

Security forces initially arrested Mohamed in Afghanistan after the latter had allegedly spent ten years as a member of militant groups Al-Qaeda and Al-Jihad, respectively headed by terrorist bogeyman Osama bin Laden and Egyptian cleric Ayman al-Zawahri.

In a statement to Al-Masry Al-Youm, members Abdel Rahman's family said they were  happy with the release order, calling it a "significant step" in the government's attitude towards the Jamaa Islamiyah group.

Family members went on to express hope that the move represented a step towards the eventual release of Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman–popularly known as the "blind sheikh"–from a US prison, where he has been serving out a life sentence for alleged acts of terrorism since 1996.

Translated from the Arabic Edition.

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