The pardons also come a day before Mr Sisi planned to head to New York for the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. They appeared aimed at activists for the most part, with the presidency saying the cases involved violations of a protest law and “assaulting police officers”, in addition to some pardons on health grounds.

It was not clear whether Peter Greste, who was also sentenced in the case, was among those pardoned.

Two Al-Jazeera journalists whose trials and convictions in Egyptian court drew worldwide rebuke were pardoned and freed Wednesday by the government.

“Thank you to all the supporters sending us the news, we have heard and are very happy”. “AJ Staff is Free!” Speaking to reporters today Fahmy says he still can’t believe it. “Where are we going to start, I don’t know”. Speaking shortly after his release, Fahmy said he still “can’t believe it”.

Al-Jazeera did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the AP.

It noted that Greste and six other Al-Jazeera employees have been tried in absentia.

“I am absolutely overjoyed for Fahmy and Baher”.

His lawyer confirmed the pardon and said his client is a “professional and innocent journalist”. “This decision will have positive impact on the media and global level”.

Fahmy gave up his Egyptian citizenship while behind bars in the hopes that he could follow the same path, but that didn’t happen. He expressed his determination to continue fighting for press freedom.

A spokesperson for the Canadian government said that Canada was pleased with the pardon and it would help arrange Fahmy’s departure from Egypt.

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.

The journalists had been initially found guilty in June 2014 of aiding a “terrorist organisation”, a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which was outlawed in Egypt after the army overthrew President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Amnesty worldwide and other observers have long held that Fahmy, Mohamed and Greste were pawns in a geopolitical dispute between Egypt and Qatar, the small Middle Eastern country that finances Al Jazeera.

Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, was elected president in 2012 after a popular revolution resulted in the ouster of 30-year president Hosni Mubarak.