President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a Presidential decree on Monday 13/3/2017 pardoning 203 youth convicted over violating the protest law, the pardon included three juveniles and five others pardoned over health reasons.

This decision is part of the recommendations issued by the first Youth Conference held in Sharm El Sheikh in October, 2016.

In October, 2016, President Sisi has decided to form a commission to inspect and review the jailed youth position on the pending issues, where President Sisi ordered to expand the powers of the Commission to examine the prisoners' cases in the demonstration, publication and opinion issues.

The President had issued decree no 515 of 2016 to pardon 82 detained youths including activist Islam El Beheri.

Article 155 of the country's constitution gives the president the right to pardon persons with final verdicts.

It is worth mentioning that, the standards of presidential pardon for prisoners do not include affiliation to a terrorist organization, and not to commit a crime against the State, Tarek El Kholy, member of the Commission on Presidential pardon, said.

El Kholy added that the youth and health situations are on the top of the lists of the second list of the presidential pardon, in the framework of the State's keenness on the future of youth especially students.