More than 800 convicts have been pardoned in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree granting pardons to 852 convicts on the eve of the country’s 35th anniversary of independence. More than 600 people were fully released from their sentences, while the sentences of others were reduced or their punishments were commuted.
Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a decree granting pardons to mark the 35th anniversary of the country’s independence. The decree covered 852 convicts. The majority of them—604 people—were fully released from punishment. Another 115 convicts were released on parole. For 52 people, their sentences were commuted, and for another 81 convicts, their prison terms were reduced.
Among those covered by the decree are seven foreign nationals. The amnesty also extended to 63 people who had participated in the activities of banned organizations. Separate reports detail the age and social composition of those pardoned. Among them are 375 young people, 49 women, and 37 men aged 60 and older. The pardons were announced on the eve of Uzbekistan’s Independence Day, which the country celebrates on September 1.
This is the second large-scale pardon announced by Shavkat Mirziyoyev this year. In March, the Uzbek president pardoned 392 convicts on the eve of Navruz and Eid al-Fitr. Mirziyoyev regularly signs pardon decrees. According to Uzbek media reports, since 2017, the number of convicts he has pardoned has exceeded 10,500.
The Uzbek authorities traditionally link such decisions to national and religious holidays. At the same time, various categories of convicts are included on the pardon lists, including young people, women, the elderly, and foreign citizens.
The current decree marks one of the largest amnesties in the country in recent times. A total of 852 people were granted early release or a reduction in their sentences, according to Radio Azattik.
