Myanmar pardons more than 4,000 prisoners, including deposed president

Myanmar pardons more than 4,000 prisoners, including deposed president
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The military authorities in Myanmar have announced a wide-ranging prisoner amnesty and sentence reductions affecting thousands of inmates, including prominent political detainees, in one of the first major policy moves since the country’s coup leader assumed the presidency.

State media reported that junta leader Min Aung Hlaing approved the release or sentence reduction of 4,335 prisoners. The measures include commuting all death sentences to life imprisonment, reducing life sentences to 40 years, and cutting other prison terms by one-sixth. Authorities also said 179 foreign nationals will be deported.

Former president Win Myint was pardoned of his convictions, according to a statement from the presidency. He has been detained since the 2021 military takeover.

Families gathered outside prisons in Yangon hoping relatives would be included in the releases, though previous amnesties have reportedly benefited few political prisoners. Rights groups have also criticized past pardons for largely excluding those detained for political reasons.

The latest announcement comes shortly after Min Aung Hlaing was formally sworn in as president. In his inauguration remarks, he said Myanmar had returned to a democratic path, while acknowledging ongoing national challenges.

United Nations human rights officials have repeatedly called for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained since the coup, including Aung San Suu Kyi, warning that continued detentions contribute to ongoing instability and human rights concerns in the country.