[JURIST] An Egyptian appeals court on Friday overturned the one-year jail sentence of previous Islamist president Mohamed Morsi’s former prime minister Hisham Qandil. The decision was reported by Qandil’s lawyer to Agence France Presse (AFP) [media website] in Cairo. Qandil was initially arrested trying to flee the country after Morsi was overthrown by the military last July. It is reported [ Al Arabiya news] that Qandil’s lawyer has stated that the Egyptian appeals court decision was “a final acquittal” and that Qandil will not “face any other charges in any other cases, and he will be released after all (legal) procedures are completed.”

Throughout the past year the military-backed government and court system have organized a massive political crackdown against Morsi supporters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood, having jailed approximately 15,000 individuals since Morsi was removed from power. Last week an Egyptian high court sentenced [JURIST report] Mohamed Badie, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, to life in prison for inciting violence and protests near the al-Istiqamah Mosque in the Giza. Also recently an Egyptian court sentenced [JURIST report] 12 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death for the murder of former Deputy Director of Giza Security Nabil Farrag. UN human rights officials argued earlier this year that the mass trials in Egypt violate international law [JURIST report]. In May an Egyptian court broke the pattern of mass trials resulting in the death penalty, as the court acquitted 169 Brotherhood supporters [JURIST report] on charges of illegal gathering.