Uzbek President Gifts Prisoners With Mass Pardon On Independence Day

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev has pardoned hundreds of convicts to mark the country's Independence Day, which was celebrated on September 1. State media reported that 159 prisoners were released outright, while 303 individuals were released on parole and the prison terms of 60 convicts were shortened. Among those affected were 19 foreigners, 56 women, 25 men of 60 years or older, and 233 "young" people, including one younger than 18. Twenty-seven of those pardoned were serving terms for involvement with banned groups. Mirziyoev’s last mass amnesty, which involved 426 people, was announced in April to mark the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, click here.