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<font size=4><b>Egypt 'frees political prisoners' <br><br>
</b></font><font size=3>Thirty-four prisoners reportedly freed in move
seen as part of reforms pledged by embattled government.<br>
<a href="http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201128153142101446.html" eudora="autourl">
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201128153142101446.html<br>
</a>Last Modified: 08 Feb 2011 16:42 GMT <br>
<br>
<b>Mubarak has offered political reforms in a bid to end the protests
around the country [Reuters]</b> <br><br>
The Egyptian government is reported to have freed 34 political prisoners,
including some members of the Muslim Brotherhood, in a move seen to be
part of promised reforms aimed at ending anti-government
protests.<br><br>
According to Al Jazeera sources, more than a thousand other prisoners
were released on Wednesday after completing at least three-quarters of
their sentences. And another 840 prisoners were released from the Sinai
province.<br><br>
"Interior Minister Mahmoud Wagdy issued an order today releasing 34
political detainees considered to be among the extremist elements, after
evaluating their positions," the state-owned Middle East News Agency
(MENA) said on Tuesday.<br><br>
"They showed good intentions and expressed their desire to live
peaceably with society."<br><br>
The report added they had handed themselves over to the authorities after
escaping from prison during several days of disorder last month.<br><br>
Security forces were withdrawn from the streets after failing to crush
millions of protesters on January 28. Security then broke down at many
prisons around the country.<br><br>
During the 1990s, Egypt battled Islamist fighters who wanted to replace
the government of Hosni Mubarak, the president, with an Islamic
state.<br><br>
<b>Political detainees<br><br>
</b>Many fighters remain in jail from the time of Mubarak's predecessor
Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated by soldiers linked to an Islamist group
in 1981.<br><br>
According to human rights groups, it is not clear how many people are
detained in Egypt for political activities, such as joining banned groups
or planning or carrying out acts of violence, but they estimate them to
be in thousands.<br><br>
Mubarak has offered other concessions in an attempt to end ongoing
protests around the country, which included the appointment of a
vice-president and a new cabinet.<br><br>
Political reforms have also been pledged and the government said this
would include freeing detainees and lifting emergency laws.<br><br>
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