Egypt to review Mohamed Morsi-era pardons

Interim Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi has formed a committee to review pardons granted by ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi to hundreds of convicted prisoners.

The committee – which includes al-Beblawi, Egypt's prosecutor-general, the head of Egypt's intelligence apparatus, and the ministers of defense, interior, foreign affairs, justice and transitional justice – plans to review presidential pardons granted by Morsi in the period between June 30, 2012 and July 3, 2013.

The panel will also review amnesties offered by the ousted president to convicts during his single year in office.

Morsi had granted pardons to 25,000 people convicted of terrorism, arms smuggling and money laundering, judiciary sources said.

The Islamist leader also granted pardons to people sentenced in absentia, including Muslim preacher Wagdi Ghoneim and Muslim Brotherhood leader Youssef Nada, the sources added.

Last month, Transitional Justice Minister Mohamed Amin al-Mahdi said he had recommended to interim President Adly Mansour that pardons for anyone who posed a threat to national security be scrapped.

Al-Mahdi said that his ministry had also proposed to limit the president's authority to grant pardons to prisoners.