On Monday, Egyptian authorities confirmed the presidential pardon of well known activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah.
Alongside him, five other prisoners were also granted pardons, though it was not immediately clear when they would be released.
His lawyer, Khaled Ali, told the Associated Press that Abd el-Fattah is expected to walk free from Wadi Natron Prison, located just north of Cairo, shortly after the state’s decision is published in the official gazette, something he anticipates could happen within the next two days.
“My heart will explode,” wrote Abd el-Fattah’s sister, Mona Seif, on social media, expressing her relief at the news.Meanwhile, his mother, Laila Soueif, said she was heading straight to the prison where her son is being held. “I won’t rest until he is out,” she declared.
