Tajikistan’s parliament has adopted a new law on amnesty proposed by President Emomali Rahmon last week.
According to the law, adopted on August 24 by parliament's lower house, the amnesty will affect more than 12,000 people.
More than 3,000 inmates will be released from prison and more than 4,000 people with suspended sentences will be pardoned under the new legislation. The prison terms of more than 5,000 people will also be shortened.
Those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, terrorism, religious extremism, and other serious crimes are not subject to the amnesty.
The amnesty was proposed to honor the 25th anniversary of Tajikistan's independence from the Soviet Union, which will be marked on September 9.
International watchdogs and rights activists have criticized the Tajik government for using antiterrorism laws to crack down on dissent in the country.
