Prisoners freed in Henan under new amnesty

Three inmates in Henan province prisons were granted pardons on Tuesday under an amnesty marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The trio is the first in the province to be released as part of the official pardon, Dahe Daily reported.

Fan Mingli (alias), 85, was freed from Henan No.2 Prison having been given a life sentence in July 2006 for fraud and forging official documents.

The report said Fan fought in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45) and was decorated many times for his service.

Two others were freed from the province's Xuchang and Xinxiang prisons.

The amnesty, announced by President Xi Jinping on Aug 29, comes 40 years after China granted reprieves to war criminals in 1975 and 56 years since its first pardon of non-war offenders in 1959.

Four categories of convict, including those who took part in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression or the national war of liberation, and those above or below certain ages will benefit from the amnesty.

It is the eighth pardon since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.