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Total of 1,500 people set free in Syria under general amnesty decree — justice minister

On February 18, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree granting a general amnesty on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan

TUNIS, February 22. /TASS/. About 1,500 people have been released in Syria under a general amnesty decree, Mazhar al-Wais, minister of justice in the country’s transitional government, said in an interview with Al Jazeera.

"For now, around 1,500 people have been released under the general amnesty decree," he said, stressing that the measure will apply to nearly 500,000 Syrian citizens in total. According to him, anyone involved in crimes against the Syrian people is excluded from the decree. "No one involved in the bloodshed of the Syrian people has been or will be released," the minister noted.

On February 18, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree granting a general amnesty on the occasion of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Under the document, life imprisonment will be commuted to a 20-year custodial sentence, except for those convicted of grave crimes resulting in bodily harm. Inmates with terminal illnesses, as well as those aged 70 and older, are fully exempt from punishment. In addition, individuals convicted of minor offenses are eligible for full amnesty.

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