Zambia : Nearly 600 prisoners released by President Hakainde Hichilema
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has made a humanitarian decision by granting clemency to 588 inmates in various prisons across the country. The Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Jack Mwiimb, reported that among the released prisoners, 11 were elderly individuals, and one was a mother with her baby.
In a press statement in the capital, Lusaka, Mwiimb specified that a life sentence was reduced to 35 years for one inmate, while the death sentences of two others were commuted to life imprisonment.
This decision aligns with Article 97 of the Zambian Constitution, which grants the president the power to pardon or commute the sentences of convicted individuals. The minister emphasized that the inmates benefiting from this presidential pardon had demonstrated good conduct, undergoing rehabilitation processes to prepare them for successful reintegration into society.
The news has been well-received, particularly by human rights organizations, highlighting the importance of rehabilitation and the opportunity given to inmates to rebuild their lives.
