Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi has granted pardons to more than a thousand inmates from different prisons in the country, which come into force today, according to the Boletim da República.
The decision is part of the Christmas celebrations and came into force today, following the publication of the Official Gazette, says the document consulted by Lusa.
A total of 1,136 prisoners are included in the bulletin, who must not commit any new crimes within a period of five years, under penalty of serving the remainder of the sentence subject to clemency, in addition to that for the subsequent offence.
The measure only applies to prisoners who are ‘primary offenders’, who have not been convicted of heinous crimes or a prison sentence of more than 12 years, as well as those who have served half their sentence by 22 June and who are ‘well behaved’.
‘The pardon referred to in this Presidential Decree does not extinguish the convicted person’s civil liability for the damage caused by the crime,’ the bulletin reads.
The decision had already been announced by the head of state during an address to the nation on Thursday, on the occasion of the Christmas message.
The Law on Amnesty and Pardon of Sentences does not apply to those convicted of the offences of voluntary homicide, sexual violation of a minor, kidnapping, terrorism, drug trafficking, embezzlement, passive corruption, bribery, corruption, money laundering and attacks on state security.
Lusa
