This is not the first time the Board of Trustees of the National Dialogue has addressed this sensitive issue, which has long troubled people of conscience. Despite the great strides Egypt has made in recent years in addressing human rights concerns, to which major national strategies and binding documents testify, this issue continues to mar its reputation. The National Dialogue has submitted successive petitions to the president calling for the release of batches of individuals who have been detained and held for various periods, sometimes without trial or charge. The president has consistently responded favourably to these requests. On one occasion, when a young person known to the board of trustees was arrested, they submitted an urgent letter to the president asking for his release, and the president responded the next day.

That hundreds of presidential pardons have been issued during the past two years in response to National Dialogue petitions is one of this forum’s most significant achievements so far. However, arrests are still carried out under the existing pretrial detention law which, due to its loopholes, makes it possible for detainees to be held for years on the grounds that investigations are ongoing. So, even as dozens of individuals are released, others continue to be arrested and held in accordance with this law. Therefore, the National Dialogue felt it necessary to shift the focus from recommendations for release to proposals for amending the law. After several months of study, consultation with legal experts, and other deliberations, the Board of Trustees reached a consensus on a set of specific recommendations to be submitted to the president. I believe they will open a new and brighter chapter in Egypt’s human rights record.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 22 August, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly