Twenty eight convicts given August 15 pardons

Twenty-eight convicts are being released after receiving a pardon from the President on Friday in time for the August 15 holiday, prison governor Anna Aristotelous said.

She said the purpose of the pardons was to aid their reintegration into society.

Like every year, inmates who were scheduled to be released by October 31 this year and those who until August 15 completed half of their sentence were released.

She said people convicted for murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, drugs trafficking, and sexual offences were not eligible for presidential pardon.

According to the findings of several surveys, she added, imprisonment without opportunities and motivation to reintegrate is more damaging than helpful for the reintegration of detainees later in society.

The process of their release is expected to be completed shortly.

Of the 28 inmates in question 17 are Cypriots and 11 foreigners.

Presidential pardons are granted in Easter, Christmas, August 15 (Assumption Day) and October 1 (Independence Day).

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