The Public Prosecution has ordered that an investigation be conducted regarding reports that toppled President Mohamed Morsy abused his powers as president by releasing several prisoners affiliated with Islamist movements, judicial sources said.
Several lawyers and activists reported that Morsy had issued presidential pardons to suspects sentenced to death or to life in prison, sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm on Wednesday.
The Prosecution called on the Interior Ministry to conduct an investigation on this report and to provide it with the names of the pardoned suspects as well as the charges that had originally been levelled against them.
Morsy issued presidential pardons to several Islamist prisoners. The National Security Agency’s investigation, to be submitted to the Prosecution on Thursday, will be followed up by the summoning of the released prisoners to either military or supreme state security courts.
Security sources said that the Interior Ministry had rejected the idea of pardoning several of the suspects, but that Morsy had not listened to its advice.
The sources added that the Interior Minister had met with Morsy and had told him that some of the prisoners did not deserve a pardon and that releasing them could endanger national security.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
