People in El-Diyabat village gathered near the Akhmim police department in Sohag province (southern Egypt) to welcome Kamal Thabet Abdul Majid, the oldest prisoner in Egypt, who spent 45 years in prison.
Once he got out from Akhmim police department under the recent presidential pardon, many of his friends and family members were waiting for him to celebrate his release, and many Egyptian media outlets surrounded him and covered the event since his deportation from Al-Minya prison, till his release.
His sentence exceeded 60 years; he spent 45 years of them in prison, and was released under a pardon issued by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi that included many other prisoners.
Kamal said he wants to meet the president and thank him for giving him the opportunity to see the world outside the prison again. He told one of the Egyptian media outlets that he attempted suicide after his mother's death.
She used to visit him in the different prisons he stayed in. Abdul Majid called Sohag administration to provide him with a full furnished apartment and hoped to meet a good wife.
Kamal was convicted of killing his uncle and grandfather after they ridiculed him for wanting revenge for his father. In prison, he met his father's murderer and killed him as well. At the time, he was only 20 years old.
Khalid Mohammad, from El-Diyabat village, told Asharq Al-Awsat: "the former prisoner returned to his hometown like a hero, after the news on his release went viral on social media and spread among villagers. Many in his town didn't see him before, and especially those who are under 45 year old."
Mohammad added that "Kamal went to the house of his other uncle to welcome those who made his release easier. He also said that Kamal has a sister who was only two years old when he committed the murder.
Kamal hoped to find a 25-year-old bride with special qualities, along with a monthly salary and a house.
Although he was convicted of murder crimes and revenge-related killing attempts, Kamal called people in Upper Egypt to give up on traditions that lead to unreasonable death.
