General pardon in Jordan for 1,200 prisoners

It is expected in Amman that some 1,200 Jordanians will be freed today according to the general pardon announced by King Abdullah on the occasion the passing of 40 days since King Hussein's death.

Earlier the Jordanian al-Ayan council and the parliament ratified the draft law submitted by the Cabinet in this respect.

During his Thursday meeting with the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood group, King Abdullah ordered the release of 17 detainees and promised their leadership he would issue a general pardon. The pardon draft law includes political and security matters like members in the banned Islamic liberation Party, others who attacked the intelligence office in al-Baq'a camp with machine-guns and those who tried to carry out an attack against an Israeli coach after dismantling mines in Ajloun district, northern Jordan.