Egyptian President Pardons Arab Spring Activist Douma and Others

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has pardoned activist Ahmed Douma, along with several other prisoners, according to state TV. Douma, a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2019 for rioting and attacking security forces. This comes after the recent release of rights researcher Patrick Zaki and lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer, who were also pardoned by al-Sisi. While some view these actions as steps towards addressing human rights, critics argue that they are merely cosmetic, as many other detainees, including prominent activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, remain in prison.