DODOMA: President Samia Suluhu Hassan has pardoned 1,548 prisoners from different correctional facilities across the country as part of the 63rd Independence Anniversary.
A statement issued on Monday by Deputy Minister for Home Affairs, Daniel Sillo, announced that 22 of the pardoned prisoners were released immediately, while 1,526 will remain in prison to serve reduced sentences.
According to the statement, the pardon applies to prisoners serving sentences of two years or more who have already completed one-quarter of their terms and were incarcerated before October 19, 2024.
Also it includes terminally ill prisoners in critical stages of illness, elderly inmates aged 70 and above, pregnant women who were imprisoned while expecting, and prisoners with severe physical or mental disabilities that limit their ability to work.
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Others include inmates whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment, prisoners who have served at least 15 years regardless of the crime, and those detained for over 10 years.
“The government hopes these pardoned individuals will return to society as productive citizens and avoid actions that could lead them back to prison,” the statement concluded
