Myanmar pardons nearly 7,000 prisoners in second amnesty

Friday, 26 April 2019 12:33

Myanmar President Win Myint has pardoned nearly 7,000 prisoners in addition to thousands released earlier this month.

In a statement, the president said he granted unconditional amnesty to 6,948 prisoners around the country "to bring delight to the citizens of Myanmar and taking into consideration humanitarian concerns."

More cases were being scrutinised for possible pardons, he added.

This comes as more than 9,000 prisoners were released on April 17.

Meanwhile, Myanmar's Supreme Court rejected the final appeal of journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo and upheld their seven-year jail term.

More from International News

Twelve killed, 23 missing in one of Spain's deadliest wildfires

At least 12 people have died attempting to flee a wildfire in southern Spain, and 23 were missing, officials said on Friday, as firefighters battled to bring one of the country's deadliest blazes on record under control.
Ryanair passenger partially sucked out of window on flight from Greece

A passenger was partially sucked through a dislodged window on a Ryanair flight shortly after takeoff from Thessaloniki in Greece on Friday, two airport sources said, forcing the aircraft to make an emergency landing.
Man arrested on suspicion of murdering former UK minister Widdecombe

British police arrested a man on Friday on suspicion of murdering Ann Widdecombe, after the 78-year-old former government minister and Reform UK politician was found dead having "sustained serious injuries".
28 killed in shoe factory fire in China's Fujian

Firefighters worked to reach people trapped in a burning shoe factory in southeastern China on Thursday as state media reported at least 28 people were killed.
Congo Ebola outbreak still spreading largely undetected, WHO official says

Four out of every five new Ebola cases in parts of Democratic Republic of Congo have no known link to existing patients, a senior World Health Organisation official said, warning that the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official data suggest.