Egyptian authorities announced the release of 1,634 prisoners on Sunday under a presidential pardon on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha holiday. The Interior Ministry said that the prison department held committee meetings to examine the files of inmates nationwide, to determine who deserves amnesty and an early release. The committees decided to release 610 inmates, after they were deemed qualified to reintegrate in society. Releasing the prisoners falls under the ministry’s keenness to implement the penal policy in its modern concept, provide care for inmates and activate the executive role of release of convicts who were qualified to return to society, the ministry added.