Egypt activist freed from pretrial hold

CAIRO — Egyptian authorities on Tuesday released an activist known for his outspoken criticism of the government after he spent more than a year and a half in pretrial detention, his lawyer said.

Khaled Dawoud, an opposition leader and former head of the liberal Dostour, or Constitution party, arrived at his home in Cairo after prosecutors ordered his release.

Dawoud, a journalist, was set free pending an investigation into whether he disseminated false news and joined an outlawed group, his lawyer, Gamal Eid said.

It was not immediately clear whether his release was conditional.

He was arrested in September 2019 after small but rare anti-government protests. Hundreds were arrested at the time, but many were released.

Egyptian authorities have in recent years opened a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of people, mainly Islamists, but also several well-known secular activists.