DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli said on Thursday the government was in final touches of freeing and repatriating foreign prisoners, including 1,451 Ethiopians.
Magufuli said the move to free foreign prisoners serving jail terms in the country's prisons was aimed at reducing congestion in the overcrowded prisons.
He announced the release of the Ethiopian prisoners in an address televised live by state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation to mark the climax of week-long celebrations of Tanzania Law Day.
"We are still in talks but I think I will sign their amnesty in two or three days to enable them return to their country," said Magufuli.
Magufuli blames the investigators of court cases saying delay in investigations was the reason behind overcrowded remand prisons.
"There are 13,455 inmates in the country's prisons and 17,632 remand prisoners awaiting trial. This shows that there is slow pace of investigations which amounted to denying the inmates' rights," he said.
