Ethiopia Pardons 3,591 Prisoners

Prison

May 8, 2018//-Ethiopia’s northern Amhara regional state on Monday said 3,591 prisoners were pardoned as part of the government’s reform plan.

The Justice Bureau of Amhara regional state, however, said those pardoned did not include inmates convicted for rape, human trafficking, corruption and circulating counterfeit money, reported state-affiliated media outlet — Radio Fana.

Amhara regional state had previously pardoned 2,923 detainees as part of efforts to create national consensus and social harmony.

Amhara regional state, which along with Oromia regional state, accounts for about 65 per cent of Ethiopia’s estimated 100 million population, witnessed persistent protests since 2016 over allegations of political and economic marginalisation.

The protests destabilized the ruling coalition Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) which had been governing Ethiopia for close to 27 years.

The ruling party is a coalition of four parties namely the Oromo People Democratic Organisation (OPDO), the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM).

Independent.ng 

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