In a statement on Saturday, Rashwan said that the board of trustees values President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi previous decisions to use his constitutional powers in pardoning prisoners who had received final sentences, and will continue to coordinate with the Presidential Pardon Committee for more pardons in the near future.

Furthermore, Rashwan stressed that the board of trustees hopes that all those who are participating in the National Dialogue continue to support the dialogue and contribute to strengthening the positive atmosphere that can ensure its success as expected from the public.

The board of trustees is committed to intensify its legal efforts with the Public Prosecution and relevant judicial bodies to ensure the release of a number of pre-trial detainees as soon as possible, Rashwan noted.

Since President El-Sisi’s call for a national dialogue in April 2022, the president has pardoned 17 prisoners who received final sentences and the Public Prosecution has released 1,400 pretrial detainees.

On Sunday, the National Dialogue, which kicked off on 3 May, is set to start public discussions on its political track with the participation of a wide array of political forces, human rights groups and concerned parties to reach common ground on priority issues.

Local and foreign media outlets who received credentials the State Information Service will be allowed to cover all proceedings.