Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 12, 2006 20:46:38 GMT -5
ETHIOPIA:
Ethiopia grants amnesty to 263 prisoners
Ethiopia has granted its 1st amnesty to prisoners in half a century,
commuting death sentences against 11 people and granting full pardons or
reduced terms to 252 others.
President Girma Woldegiorgise announced the pardons on Monday as part of
Ethiopian New Year celebrations, saying those awarded them "had shown good
discipline while in prison."
Girma called on the pardoned prisoners to make good use of vocational
training they received in prison so as to become self-supporting citizens.
Of the 263 inmates, 237 received full amnesty, while the remaining 26
including those on death row were granted reduced terms, according to
Justice Ministry's Clemency Board.
Ethiopians celebrated Meskerem 1, 1999, on Monday with a national holiday.
Traditionally, that date marks the end of Ethiopia's June-August rainy
season where skies laden with dark clouds give way to sunshine and flowers
begin to blossom.
The Horn of Africa nation follows the Julian calendar which is now roughly
7 years behind the Gregorian calendar used by much of the world.
(source: Reuters)
Ethiopia grants amnesty to 263 prisoners
Ethiopia has granted its 1st amnesty to prisoners in half a century,
commuting death sentences against 11 people and granting full pardons or
reduced terms to 252 others.
President Girma Woldegiorgise announced the pardons on Monday as part of
Ethiopian New Year celebrations, saying those awarded them "had shown good
discipline while in prison."
Girma called on the pardoned prisoners to make good use of vocational
training they received in prison so as to become self-supporting citizens.
Of the 263 inmates, 237 received full amnesty, while the remaining 26
including those on death row were granted reduced terms, according to
Justice Ministry's Clemency Board.
Ethiopians celebrated Meskerem 1, 1999, on Monday with a national holiday.
Traditionally, that date marks the end of Ethiopia's June-August rainy
season where skies laden with dark clouds give way to sunshine and flowers
begin to blossom.
The Horn of Africa nation follows the Julian calendar which is now roughly
7 years behind the Gregorian calendar used by much of the world.
(source: Reuters)