Jeddah, Aug 10(Arab News): Three prisoners will be released from a Jeddah jail shortly in line with a royal pardon issued on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan.
President of Jeddah General Court Ibrahim Al-Salamah on Monday signed the release order for the three inmates, whose debts totaled SR37,000.
Provincial pardon committees in collaboration with the Tarahum, a state-supported organization to care for ex-prisoners and families of prisoners, are responsible for identifying inmates eligible for the pardon.
Tarahum’s Jeddah branch expects the immediate release of 20 more inmates who were convicted of failing to fulfill financial obligations below SR10,000.
Currently 15 pardon committees are examining the records of all prisoners serving time for violation of public rights in various jails in the Kingdom. However, no inmate posing a threat to public safety is eligible for royal clemency.
The provincial authorities in Asir have released a number of public rights prisoners and debtors from the Khamis Mushayt jail in the first week of Ramadan. The authorities are waiting for the report of the pardon committee in the province to release more prisoners.
Director of the Khamis Mushayt Prison Lt. Col. Muhammad Al-Shahrani distributed gifts to the freed prisoners. The freed people are also eligible for cash assistance.
Thirteen prisoners were released from the Yanbu jail in the first seven days of Ramadan, a jail official said.
The Qassim jail released 23 pardoned prisoners, according to acting director of prisons administration in Qassim Col. Muhammad Al-Dubyan.
Chairman of the Pardon Committee in Jazan Hussain Haubani said formalities to release 316 prisoners were completed.
A royal pardon does not, obviously, mean total exemption of a convict from his punishment. If a pardoned man repeats his crime he will have to complete the remainder of his original sentence in addition to the punishment for his new offense.
The conditions of pardon for a convicted debtor include that the reason for taking the loan out was legitimate and his insolvency is officially established.
As part of the pardon, many prisoners who are unable to pay blood money are granted the amount they need to fulfill the payment. However, the incident for which a man is convicted should not have occurred under the influence of intoxicants.