More than a month ago, during the April 26 Ramadan fast-breaking meal, the Egyptian president promised political overtures, Egyptian journalist Ahmad Abdelhalim recalls on the Lebanese site. Daraj. Abdel Fattah Al-Sissi announced the release of political prisoners and the launch of a national dialogue “with all the political forces of the country, without exception”.
“Since then, social networks, but also television channels such as the BBC or France24, have questioned the regime’s motivations, wondering if the opposition had an interest in responding favorably to these overtures”, écrit Abdelhalim. “From now on, we can see more clearly.”
Admittedly, the regime has reactivated an amnesty commission and released political prisoners, but in dribs and drabs. Their number of these releases is in the tens, while the country has 60,000 political prisoners.
Earlier this week, several Egyptian media, including the newspaper Al-Shorouk, had hinted that there would be a big wave of releases during this week. But this 1is june, the independent egyptian site Mada Masr indicates that the release of only six prisoners is postponed for another twenty-four hours, because the president has still not signed the decree.
A dialogue that gets bogged down before it begins
And as for the second part of the initiative, the announcement of a national dialogue, things are still in place.