Jazeera journalists walk free in Egypt after Sisi pardon

CAIRO: Canadian Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy and colleague Baher Mohamed walked free after being pardoned along with scores of others Wednesday by Egypt´s president, following criticism of his government for jailing opponents.

The 100 prisoners pardoned by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi included women activists Sana Seif and Yara Sallam, the president´s office said, in a goodwill gesture on the eve of a major Muslim holiday.

Within hours of the announcement, Fahmy and Mohamed were dropped off by authorities in the upmarket Cairo suburb of Maadi in their blue prison uniforms and were waiting there for family members.

They told an AFP correspondent on the spot that they were looking forward to being reunited with their families, but were unsure of their long-term plans.

"I´m feeling ecstatic knowing that I don´t have to worry about lawyers, police officers following me all over the place and knowing that I´m going to share my apartment tonight with my beloved wife," said Fahmy.

Mohamed said: "We´re very, very happy. But we´re a bit surprised about how it was done".

The pair had been sentenced in a retrial in August to three years for fabricating "false" news in support of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which the army removed from power in 2013 and outlawed.

The retrial was ordered early this year after an appeals court overturned an initial sentence of seven years, saying the prosecution had presented scant evidence.