Ethiopia grants clemency to over 260 inmates

Reuters | September 11, 2006

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 seven years behind the Gregorian calendar used by much of the world.