Egyptian court releases Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri's brother

An Egyptian court on Tuesday ordered the release of Mohamed El Zawahiri, brother to Al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman El-Zawahiri, following charges of forming a terrorist organisation.

Zwahiri was arrested in August 2013, a month after the army’s ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi at the height of a crackdown against his supporters

In October he was acquitted by the court due to lack of evidence. But 10 of his co-defendants were given death sentences.

The judge however remanded him in detention and ordered an investigation into remarks he made during the trial in which he allegedly called for the formation of a “terrorist group”.

But on Tuesday another court ordered his release while the investigation is underway, an official said.

Zawahiri’s son Abdelrahman Zawahiri confirmed the decision but said it was not clear when his father “will be actually released” from prison.