Ethiopia has pardoned 13,000 under a temporary amnesty law

The amnesty allowed pardons for people facing criminal or terrorism charges.
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Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (C) smiles before a High Level Consultation Meeting with African leaders on DR Congo election at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, on January 17, 2019. - Chairperson of the African Union Commission on January 17, 2019 said "serious doubts" remain over the results of last month's election in the DR Congo. (Photo by EDUARDO SOTERAS / AFP)

More than 13,200 people have benefited from the amnesty law over the past six months, local media reported.

The amnesty law which was promulgated by the Ethiopian parliament on July 20, 2018 for six months expired on Monday.

“More than 13,200 individuals benefitted from the edict in the past six months,” FANA, a local broadcaster, reported, citing a statement by the Federal Attorney General’s Office.

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The law granted amnesty to individuals and groups either under investigation or convicted of treason, crime against the constitutional order and armed struggle.

However, criminals convicted of genocide, extrajudicial killings, forced abduction, and committing torture and beating could not benefit from the law.

This came after Africa’s youngest leader Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came into power.

Under his rule, political prisoners have been released and dissenting forces were invited into the country to participate in the political and democratization processes in the country.

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  • Abdulateef Ahmed

    Abdulateef Ahmed, Digital News Editor and; Research Lead, is a self-driven researcher with exceptional editorial skills. He's a literary bon vivant keenly interested in green energy, food systems, mining, macroeconomics, big data, African political economy, and aviation..

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