CAIRO: A prisoner, released per a presidential pardon, was ordered by police officer to “prostrate in thankfulness to God” in front of cameras; the officer will be investigated, according to senior interior ministry official.
Deputy Minister of Interior for Human Rights Abu Bakr Abdel Karim told CBC Extra TV Channel Thursday that the officer’s attitude is “unacceptable,” and that “there is no any benefit for interior ministry to oblige prisoners to prostrate.”
The incident took place on Wednesday outside Torah Prison, and was caught in a video available on Al-Masry Al-Youm news website. The video content has caused negative reactions by social media users against the interior ministry.
Video of incident – courtesy of Al-Masry Al-Youm
In the video, a man in plain clothes appeared leading a released prisoner in a red T-shirt and ordering him to go down on his knees. The officer then instructed photographers not to include him and the other officers in the photo saying “[make sure] we do not appear in the photo.”
When the prisoner was about to stand up, a photographer asked him to do it one more time; the prisoner appeared uncomfortable. Cameras followed the released prisoner and another one until they got into a van and started taking photos of them; both prisoners seemed annoyed.
On Wednesday, Sisi issued a presidential pardon to 165 prisoners in order to join their families on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, which started Thursday. The majority of those released prisoners are affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood; they were arrested over illegal protesting, according to Youm7.
According to the presidency media office, Sisi recommended the pardoned should be rehabilitated and integrated into the Egyptian society.
Wednesday’s pardon did not see the names of prominent activists most notably Ahmed Douma, Alaa Abdel Fatah and others. The decision comes per a decree that Sisi issued in January to release prisoners who have served half of their jail terms.
Releasing prisoners is a tradition during national holidays in Egypt.