ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's northern Tigray regional state announced on Wednesday that it has pardoned 820 prisoners.
Teklay Gebreyesus, Head of Prisons of Northwest Zone of Tigray regional state, said the prisoners were pardoned because they had shown good behavior during their imprisonment and had promised to be socially responsible citizens after they are released to their local communities.
He further said the prisoners have been given life skills and vocational trainings before being released in order to help the prisoners become productive members of their society.
The latest prisoners pardons comes just a week after Tigray regional state pardoned 3,231 prisoners as part of efforts to rehabilitate and re-integrate them back to their local communities.
The Ethiopian government has also characterized the mass prisoner release program as part of its efforts to foster reconciliation and create national consensus.
