Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a pardon for political activist Alaa Abdel Fattah and five others, responding to an appeal from the National Council for Human Rights.

An official statement said the pardon followed legal procedures.

Abdel Fattah, a prominent figure in Egypt’s political movement since 2011, had been detained multiple times over the past decade.

Families of those released welcomed the decision, calling it a step to ease social and psychological pressures.