After years of struggle, waiting, dashed hopes, diplomatic pressure and hunger strikes, Alaa Abd El Fattah, Egypt's best-known political prisoner, was pardoned on Monday, according to a statement from the president. Imprisoned for most of the last 12 years as a dissident, Mr. Abd El Fattah, 43, had expected to be released last September, at the completion of a five-year sentence. But the authorities kept him locked up, saying his two years of pretrial detention did not count. “President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has pardoned the remaining sentences of several prisoners,” the presidential statement said, listing the names of six detainees, among them Mr. Abd El Fattah. “This decision reflects the state’s commitment to strengthening human rights initiatives, promoting tolerance, and offering those pardoned the opportunity to begin a new life.”