Okaz: Saudi king pardons five thousands public right prisoners

The director general of the Saudi Arabia's prisons has announced that King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz ordered the release of some 5000 public rights prisoners.

The Saudi daily Okaz quoted the director general of the Saudi prisons Lt. Gen. Ali Bin Hussein al-Harithi as saying "we have started the release last Wednesday" and that all of them will be released within two months.

He said that the groups which are governed by the pardoning are those of "simple cases, except ... great cases like looting, drugs, kidnapping and killing crimes." He added that the number who will be governed by the pardoning are five thousands."

In 2001, the King pardoned 13768 Saudi prisoners or residents on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of assuming power. Pardoning decisions are issued for prisoners on the occasion of religious festivities.