"The board of trustees has been lobbying through all legal means to ensure the release of Zahran by the investigation authorities," read a statement by the Coordinator-General of the National Dialogue Diaa Rashwan.

On Thursday, citing Zahran's spouse, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights said the authorities arrested the teachers' rights advocate in early September for spreading false news to incite public opinion.

In late August, a video clip showing Zahran criticizing financial policies by the education ministry during a National Dialogue session went viral.

In the statement, Rashwan stressed: "The dialogue sessions are by their very nature a free platform for exchanging different opinions publicly and in front of all Egyptian, Arab, and foreign media outlets that are covering them."

"Since its start in May, nearly 3,000 participants attended and spoken in the dialogue sessions representing tens of political parties, unions, and civil society associations," he said.

"All participants freely expressed their ideas and proposals "without any reproach from any individual or entity in the country," added Rashwan.

He also assured that the general framework of the National Dialogue is based on the approach set by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who called for the dialogue, that "Egypt is a homeland that accommodates everyone regardless of differences of opinion."