A total of 144 prisoners serving different jail terms have been pardoned by the Crown Prince of Ras al Khaimah to mark the sixth anniversary of his appointment. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr, the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler, will also settle the prisoners' debts and cancel any outstanding fines, said Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed al Khateri, the head of the RAK Courts Department. The gesture by the Crown Prince was to allow the prisoners to be reunited with their families, he said.
The prisoners are of different nationalities and have been held in prison and reformatory institutions, the state news agency WAM said. The release of the inmates follows the recommendation of a panel set up by the department to study cases and conditions of the prisoners, added Sheikh al Khateri. He said some of the those pardoned had been chosen because of good conduct while in prison. * WAM
