JEDDAH, 17 June 2006 — Hundreds of prisoners held for violating private and public rights as well as committing minor crimes in different parts of the Kingdom have been released in the wake of an amnesty declared by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah last week, informed sources said.
Tabuk Governor Prince Fahd ibn Sultan oversaw the release of the first batch of prisoners held in jails of the region on Thursday, the Saudi Press Agency reported yesterday.
“The governor instructed authorities to complete procedures for the release of the remaining prisoners who have fulfilled the conditions set by the amnesty,” SPA added.
Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Harithy, director general of prisons, said he had instructed directors of jails across the country to set up special panels to study the cases of prisoners who deserved amnesty. He congratulated the prisoners who have won freedom as a result of the royal gesture.
King Abdullah declared the amnesty on June 10 at the start of his current tour of the Kingdom’s regions. According to sources, at least 4,000 prisoners are to benefit from the royal decree, which covered payment of debts and blood money on behalf of people detained for violating private rights.
Al-Harithy said the prisoners were being released after carefully studying their files by panels comprising representatives of the governorates, prisons, police and the commission for investigation and public prosecution.
He said the amnesty would not cover those criminals held for murder, drug trafficking, money laundering, armed robbery and forgery. A number of prisoners held in Jeddah, Taif and Hail have already been released. Sources said a large number of prisoners would be released by next week.
Mubarak Mudheem, a Saudi who won the amnesty and was released from a Taif prison on Thursday, said he was sentenced to eight years imprisonment. “I have completed three years in jail. I am very happy now for being with my family as a result of the amnesty declared by the king,” Al-Madinah Arabic daily quoted Mudheem as saying.
The release of prisoners in Hail coincided with the king’s visit to the region. “The amnesty came as a big surprise for me,” said a Saudi after his release from a Hail prison.
The royal pardon would encourage people to lead a life obeying the country’s rules, said another who found early freedom, thanks to the amnesty. “Punishment in Islam is a corrective measure, not torture. Muslim leaders and individuals offer pardon inspired by the religion. It’s a strong measure for mental reform and correcting mistakes,” he said.
