Egypt’s investigating authorities have released journalist Gamal El-Gamal, politician Abdel-Nasser Ismail and activist Esraa Abdel-Fattah after months in pre-trial detention over charges that include joining a terrorist group, a statement said.

The three, who had been imprisoned in two different cases, were reported to be released late on Saturday.

Freelance columnist El-Gamal was arrested in February 2021 at Cairo International Airport upon his return from Turkey on charges of spreading false news, joining a terrorist organization, and inciting public opinion against state institutions.

Vice-president of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party Ismail, who was arrested in September 2019, and political activist Abdel-Fattah, who was arrested a month later, have been held in pre-trial detention since then in another case.

Both face charges of “joining a terrorist group in achieving its goals”, “disseminating false news” and “misusing social media”.

Legal sources stated that the authorities released the three after it was found that they were not charged in any other cases, the statement said.

Security forces had detained the three under an arrest order issued by the Public Prosecution to bring them for interrogation in the cases under investigation, the statement noted.