902 Prisoners in Cambodia to be Considered for Pardon, Jail Term Cut
Inmates at the Mondolkiri provincial prison last March are receiving instruction on the measures to take against COVID-19. Photo: Directorate General of Prisons' Facebook page.
- By Xinhua News Agency
- November 7, 2023 11:00 AM
PHNOM PENH -- Some 902 prisoners in Cambodia will be considered for a royal pardon or jail term reduction on the occasions of the Independence Day and the Water Festival, a spokesman said on Monday.
The Southeast Asian country will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Independence Day on Nov. 9 and the Water Festival on Nov. 26, 27 and 28.
Ministry of Justice's Secretary of State and Spokesman Kim Santepheap said the National Commission to Review and Request Sentence Reductions and Pardons will hold a meeting on Tuesday to consider granting royal pardon or reducing jail terms for those prisoners.
"Some 464 prisoners will be considered for release or having their jail terms reduced on Independence Day, and 438 others on the occasion of the Water Festival," he wrote on his official social media.
Under the kingdom's law, a prisoner is qualified for a royal amnesty provided he or she has served at least two-thirds of the jail term and behaved well while serving time in prison.
For a jail term cut, a well-behaved prisoner who has served one-third of the prison term will see his or her jail term reduced between three months and one year.
The kingdom usually pardons or cuts jail terms for prisoners on the occasions of Victory Day, the Khmer New Year, the Buddha's Day, the Independence Day, and the Water Festival.
