Egypt's general prosecution ordered on Monday the release of 120 elderly people and students detained pending trial. The decision comes in light of a request by the prosecutor general to the prosecution's technical office to revise the cases of those detained pending trial. "All those currently detained pending trial have evidence against them of committing criminal offences, and the law has made it possible for them to petition their detention pending trial," reads a statement by the prosecution office. It is still unclear what charges these detainees face. In December, the prosecutor ordered the release of 130 students and juveniles detained pending trial in order not to "sabotage their futures." Also in January the general prosecution ordered the release of 100 detained students "out of concern for their academic future." In his last speech in February, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi repeated promises to release many who had been unjustly imprisoned, but it is unclear whether his promises were meant to include prisoners pending investigations or those on trial, or whether presidential pardons would be granted. The president has repeatedly stated he does not interfere with Egypt's judiciary. Source : Ahram online
