In a Facebook post, Rashwan congratulated all members of the syndicate on the release of their three colleagues, who he said will have the Suhur meal with their families today.

“Better is coming, God willing, for the rest of [our] colleagues,” Rashwan said, in reference to the journalists who are still behind bars.

The syndicate’s head thanked Prosecutor-General Hamada El-Sawy, the Public Prosecution, the Egyptian judiciary, and other relevant authorities for the release decision.

The decision comes less than a week after the prosecution decided last Sunday to release 41 pretrial activist detainees.

The syndicate praised the decision, expressing hope that authorities would release other journalists not involved in any terror-related cases.

In a statement last Sunday, the syndicate said: "We hope that this step will be followed by other steps soon to release those pretrial detaineees whose hands have not been soiled by blood or have not been involved in terrorism crimes, especially our colleagues – members of the Journalists Syndicate – who have nothing to serve their country and profession with except their pens, cameras and drawing quills.”

The syndicate stressed that its members abide by all the duties and obligations stipulated in the Egyptian constitution and laws.

Egyptian law allows the government to hold those accused of crimes for up to two years pending a referral to trial.

The release of the 41 detainees was met by widespread praise in various political quarters.

Egypt’s newly reactivated Presidential Pardon Committee also announced on Saturday the preparation of a new list of prisoners who will be pardoned on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.

The committee, created in 2016, was reactivated as per President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s directives during the Egyptian Family Iftar banquet that was held on Tuesday.

The committee is in charge of reviewing the cases of those imprisoned for political crimes and others who meet certain criteria, such as having more than one relative in jail.

The scope of the committee, which started work immediately upon reactivation, has been expanded to cooperation with state institutions and NGOs and to include male and female indebted prisoners.

On Wednesday, 3,273 inmates received presidential pardons on the occasion of Sinai Liberation Day on 25 April.