A commission formed by the Cabinet to review pardons and citizenships granted by former president Mohamed Morsy to foreigners has revoked the citizenship of 800 people, including Palestinians, who obtained it illegally, according to security sources.
Those include Hamas senior leader Mahmoud al-Zahar, the sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm, adding that other persons subjected to the measure are being vetted by security so as to decide whether they have any links to terrorist groups that had committed any assaults against Egypt.
The same sources revealed that President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi had demanded a detailed report about citizenships awarded to up to 13.000 Palestinians since the 2011 uprising, asking to check whether they were affiliated with extremist groups.
In a related context, the Interior Ministry has started to rescind weapons licenses issued for now-detained Muslim Brotherhood figures under Morsy, according to the sources.
Egypt is trying several Palestinians in absentia over charges of involvement in attacks on Egyptian police facilities that enabled Morsy to escape from prison during the 2011 uprising.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
