Keltria
01-11-2005, 03:07 PM
Morocco pardons 478 prisoners
January 11 2005 at 06:33PM
Rabat - Morocco's King Mohammed has pardoned or reduced the sentences of 478 prisoners to mark the 61st anniversary on Tuesday of a political manifesto that led to the country's independence.
A total of 122 detainees were granted a full pardon. More than 300 others had their jail sentences reduced and dozens had their suspended sentences converted to fines, the official news agency MAP said quoting a Justice Ministry statement.
No details about the prisoners or their crimes were given.
Morocco's 53 prisons are notoriously overcrowded and housed about 58 000 inmates at end-November, a number that has trebled in less than 30 years.
Royal pardons are customary in Morocco to mark historical events, in this case a political manifesto of defiance against colonial ruler France published on January 11, 1944, by nationalist party Istiqlal that eventually led to independence in 1956
January 11 2005 at 06:33PM
Rabat - Morocco's King Mohammed has pardoned or reduced the sentences of 478 prisoners to mark the 61st anniversary on Tuesday of a political manifesto that led to the country's independence.
A total of 122 detainees were granted a full pardon. More than 300 others had their jail sentences reduced and dozens had their suspended sentences converted to fines, the official news agency MAP said quoting a Justice Ministry statement.
No details about the prisoners or their crimes were given.
Morocco's 53 prisons are notoriously overcrowded and housed about 58 000 inmates at end-November, a number that has trebled in less than 30 years.
Royal pardons are customary in Morocco to mark historical events, in this case a political manifesto of defiance against colonial ruler France published on January 11, 1944, by nationalist party Istiqlal that eventually led to independence in 1956