Sunday July 23, 2023
Hargeisa (HOL) - Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi announced a presidential pardon for 388 prisoners in Somaliland prisons on Saturday, in observance of the beginning of the Islamic New Year (the Hijri New Year).
In an official statement released by the Presidency of Somaliland, President Bihi granted amnesty to prisoners convicted of minor crimes, stating, "I have decided to grant a general amnesty from today, on the occasion of the beginning of the Islamic New Year, to 388 prisoners convicted of minor crimes in the country's prisons."
The government clarified that this amnesty would not alter the civil rights and criminal consequences associated with the crimes for which the prisoners were convicted. The implementation of this amnesty will be carried out by the Office of the Attorney General, as stated in the official statement.
The presidential pardon is a customary practice in Somaliland, with the President often granting amnesty to prisoners convicted of minor offenses during significant occasions, such as New Year, holidays, and the commemoration of Somaliland's unrecognized Independence Day on 18th May.