Egyptian authorities have released some 950 detained former members of the militant Gama'a al-Islamiya (Islamic Group) in the past six weeks, including 300 yesterday.
The Egyptian government detained many thousands of Gama'a members or sympathizers in the 1990s, when the group was waging a low-level war against the security forces, mainly in the south of the country.
Hundreds have come out of detention over the years after renouncing violence to overthrow the government. Gama'a leaders declared a truce with the government in 1997, after an attack on tourists at a pharaonic temple in Luxor.
The big release on Tuesday was to mark the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad, a traditional occasion for setting prisoners free, the police sources said.
The government has never said how many militants remain in detention without trial or charge. The US State Departments cites estimates of 10,000 detainees in all.
