Abdel Meguid Mahmoud decided to conclude his career as Egypt’s prosecutor general by releasing political activist and human rights lawyer Hassan Mostafa, who was serving one year in prison on charges of attacking and insulting a prosecutor.

On June 15 Alexandria Appeals Court decreased the sentence against Mostafa after he had been sentenced earlier to two years imprisonment by Alexandria Misdemeanor Court on charges of slapping a prosecutor.

Mostafa was arrested on January 27 during clashes that erupted surrounding the city Criminal Court and the Security Directorate of Alexandria. After he noticed documents being transferred to outside the state security building in Alexandria, he called activists to demonstrate in front of the building, on the understanding that these documents belong to the people.

Mostafa was accused of slapping the prosecutor after filing a complaint about police torture of peaceful protesters in fierce clashes that took in Alexandria.

Demonstrations have accompanied all the court sessions of Mostafa’s trial, during which activists described his trial as an attempt to crack down on activists who were opposed to the rule of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.

On Sunday, 12 activists, including Alaa Abdel Fattah, Nawara Negm, and Ahmed Douma, were acquitted by the Cairo Criminal Court of inciting violence outside the Muslim Brotherhood headquarters in Moqattam in March.