Senegal frees 600 inmates to mark end of Ramadhan

Senegal’s President Macky Sall has pardoned 600 prisoners to mark the end of this year’s Muslim holy month of Ramadhan or Eid-Fitr.
Justice ministry officials said the pardoned prisoners were held in 37 jails across the country, with almost half of the number from the Rebeus Maximum Security Prison in Dakar.

His first lot
In 2013, President Sall pardoned his first lot of prisoners numbering 333 for the Eid-Fitr, plus another 734 in a 2016 New Year gesture.

Karim Wade, the son of the country’s former President Abdoulaye Wade, is among the latest prisoners to benefit from the presidential pardon.
Common criminals
Most pardoned prisoners are usually common criminals sentenced for assault, pick-pocketing and other petty offences.
The pardon has become a tradition in Senegal and comes on the eve of important political and religious ceremonies.