Butaflika pardons 5,000 prisoners on the prophet's birthday, 40 remains of Algerian rebels found
Algeria, Local, 5/9/2003

The Algerian radio said that bodies of 40 Algerian rebels were found in the eastern parts of the country.

The radio added that their death might be a result of clashes with rival rebel groups. The radio also said that the bodies were found in Tebse district near the border with Tunisia while the government forces were in a search mission for rebels. The radio did not say when and how the victims died.

On the other hand, an Algerian official source in Algiers said yesterday that the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika pardoned 5000 prisoners on the occasion of prophet Muhammad Birthday. The source explained that the pardoning which is issued annually by the Algerian President is manifested in reducing the sanctions wholly or partially and ranges between 6 to 17 months for prisoners held less than 20 years.

This pardoning does not include those convicted of terrorism and deliberate killing, high-jackers and sex assaults. The pardoning also does not include convicted of stealing public funds, and those accused of corruption and smuggling drugs and currency forging.

Some 78 persons benefited from this pardoning as their imprisonment duration decreased from life imprisonment to 20 year.

In a statement, the Algerian Presidency said that this pardoning stems "from the will to consolidate solidarity relations inside our society and falls in the course of reintegrating prisoners into society after ending their sanctions."

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