Bin Ali pardons hundreds of prisoners

Tunisian President Zein al-Abidin Bin Ali on Thursday issued a pardon that covered hundreds of prisoners on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the change that took place on November 7, which for this year, coincided with President Bin Ali's reelection to a third term of office.

Tunisian radio quoted an official media source as saying that Bin Ali met on Thursday with the two ministers of justice and the interior, and following the meeting he decided to pardon a large group of prisoners through reducing the sentences of 1,230 prisoners and canceling the remaining imprisonment periods for another 1,883 prisoners.

It was not known whether the prisoners governed under the pardon are leftists or fundamentalists.