After a week-long discussion, the top legislature approved a special amnesty on Saturday that will grant official pardon to thousands of convicted war veterans as well as very young and old prisoners meeting certain criteria.
President Xi Jinping proposed the special amnesty to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. It is the eighth special amnesty since the founding of the People's Republic; the previous one was in 1975.
Criminals aged 75 or above, who are with severe physical disabilities and unable to take care of themselves will be released and provided with supports ahead of the historic occasion. Prisoners who committed their crimes while under the age of 18 and received a prison term of less than three years, or with less than one year's prison term left, will also be freed. The special pardon reflects China's tradition of both respecting the elderly and caring for the young.
Officials convicted of embezzlement and bribe-taking, and criminals convicted of murder, rape, terrorism and mafia-style crimes are excluded from the amnesty.
China's prisoner amnesty is a sound combination of humanitarian practice and implementation of the rule of law. The amnesty is also in line with the Criminal Law that was amended in 2011.
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