Egypt pardons hundreds of people jailed for demonstrating

CAIRO – Egypt's President Abdel-Fatah el-Sissi has pardoned more than 330 young people, most of them convicted and jailed for their participation in illegal protests.

The announcement came in a tweet on Wednesday.

Officials say 332 people were pardoned, most of them convicted and imprisoned for breaking a controversial law that prohibits unapproved demonstrations.

They say secular activists Andrew Nassef of the unofficial leftist Bread and Freedom Party, and Islam Fouad of the opposition Dostour (Constitution) party were among those pardoned.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, say both Nassef and Fouad were sentenced for illegal protesting.

Egypt outlawed all unauthorized protests in 2013 after the military overthrew an Islamist president amid mass protests against his divisive rule.