Nonviolent prisoners to be freed in two weeks

The directorate general of prisons spokesman Lt. Col. Ayoub bin Hijab revealed to a local newspaper that Saudi and foreign prisoners serving jail sentences for committing petty crimes and who do not pose a threat to public security will be released within the next fortnight in line with the royal pardon announced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on the occasion of his recovery from the latest surgery.
“The number of the prisoners who will benefit from the amnesty will be cleared over the next two weeks," the directorate spokesman said.
“As soon as the royal pardon was declared under the directives of Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif, committees were formed to work on a daily basis on studying individual cases to expedite examining the files of prisoners eligible for release so they could immediately benefit from the royal pardon. These committees have been deployed in all regions and the governorates of the Kingdom will continue its work until the end and the release of every prisoner who meets the requirements for amnesty.
He stressed the fact that the amnesty will take time to be implemented, indicating that it has basic rules, for example, that the prisoner has spent a certain period in jail. Some inmates have not thus far spent the required time they need to spend a full month of their sentences in order to meet the conditions of amnesty.
He added: “The committees will complete their work after two weeks and then a number of prisoners will benefit from the amnesty. The release will be implemented in stages."
Prisoners release will take time. There are some with unresolved suspended rights thus far. Therefore, not all eligible prisoners will be released immediately.
The pardon covers convicts in all of the Kingdom’s prisons who do not pose a danger to security and are not involved in major crimes.
With regard to punitive punishment, if the convicted felon's time comes, it will be carried out. If his time has passed, he will serve his sentence.
Male convicts over the age 60 years and female convicts over 50 will be treated on par with juveniles who are aged between 15-18 years of age. The amnesty exempts prisoners with serious and infectious illnesses of both genders from punitive punishment.