FRANCE 24 spoke to Ramy Shaath, an Egytian-Palestinian activist who spent two and half years in jail in Egypt on accusations of aiding a terrorist group. He was a member of several secular political groups and a co-founder of the pro-Palestinian BDS movement. Shaath, who was never formally charged, described the conditions of his arrest, detention and finally his release from jail on January 8. He claimed "arbitrary detentions and arrests" increasingly account for "the majority" of inmates in Egyptian jails under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He also said he understood that he was expected to keep silent following his release and had already received threats.

Armed men kidnapped the MSF employees on Feb. 24 from the group's base in Cameroon's Far North region in Fotokol, which is near Nigeria and Chad. Those kidnapped and subsequently released include a Senegalese, Chadian and Franco-Ivorian along with their two Cameroon security guards.

11 Hindu men given life sentences for raping a Muslim woman in 2002 and killing seven of her family have been released from prison. The rape took place during riots in Gujarat state, led at the time by Narendra Modi.

Security forces have ended a siege by al Qaeda-linked militants at a hotel in Somalia's capital in which more than 20 people were killed and dozens injured, authorities said on Sunday.

The world's richest man Elon Musk has completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter, and tweeted: "The bird is freed".

High-profile international prisoners released as part of an amnesty by the junta in Myanmar, including a British former ambassador and an Australian former adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, have reached Thailand.

Toru Kubota, a Japanese documentary filmmaker who was sentenced to ten years in prison in Myanmar, has expressed relief after being freed by the junta in an amnesty. Martin Fritz reports from Tokyo.

At least eight monks including their chief abbots were found positive for methamphetamine during unannounced testing in Phetchabun province on November 28.

Russia has released the US basketball player, who had been serving a 9-year sentence in a penal colony, in exchange for a notorious arms dealer. US President Biden has said Griner is "on her way home."

Jörg Lange was kidnapped by jihadis in Niger more than 4 1/2 years ago and was reportedly sold to the so-called Islamic State armed group. The 63-year-old engineer is said to be in good health.

Thousands of Liberians marked the bicentenary of their country with a mass rally in the capital, Monrovia. Liberia was founded by former US slaves in 1822 becoming the Continent's first republic in 1847. US President Joe Biden sent a presidential delegation to take part in the celebrations.

Sixty-six women and children kidnapped by armed assailants in northern Burkina Faso last week have been freed, national broadcaster Radiodiffusion Television du Burkina (RTB) said on Friday