Egypt releases Ayman Nour

Mr. Nour is the country’s most prominent democracy advocate. He was imprisoned in 2005. NYT:

Mr. Nour’s imprisonment ended Egypt’s brief experiment with allowing opposition politics to flourish. His Al Gahd Party had become the only legal opposition with a growing, anti-establishment following. In 2005 Mr. Nour garnered 600,000 votes in his bid for the presidency, placing a distant second behind Mr. Mubarak in a race controlled by the president’s governing party.

Coincidentally, the WaPo reiterated just two days ago that Mr. Nour deserves to be set free. Is this a gesture to the White House? An effort to placate Egyptians furious about Gaza? Both? Neither?