Friday June 30, 2017
91 inmates from Somalia’s Mogadishu Central prisons were released on Thursday June 29 thanks to a presidential pardon.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo ordered the release of the ex-convicts as part of activities marking the country’s independence day celebration which falls on July 1.
The president in May this year set up a 9-member commission to look into the state of prisons.
advertisements
They forwarded recommendations among which was for the president to pardon a number of prisoners held for misdemeanor.According to media reports, the released persons are those held for petty crimes. Most of those pardoned were serving prison terms for debts ranging from $20 dollars to $300 dollars to 7 grams of gold.
Most African governments have often freed a section of prisoners as part of independence day celebrations. Gambia’s Adama Barrow did same early this year and the Zambian government also recently embarked on a similar move. Most African prisons are crowded give the slow pace of justice delivery across the continent.BREAKING: 91 inmates held for petty crimes freed from Mogadishu central prison today; @M_Farmaajo pardoned to mark July 1 Independence Day. pic.twitter.com/Biu0hYcA4Q
— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) 29 June 2017