President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has granted clemency to 984 convicted individuals, according to a statement from the Ministry of Justice released on Tuesday.
The clemency is part of measures aimed, in particular, at helping to reduce the prison population and promoting the social reintegration of the inmates concerned.
The measure, enacted by decrees signed on September 21, 2026, provides for various forms of remission or commutation of sentences.
Of the 984 beneficiaries, 921 convicted individuals have had their sentences fully remitted.
The measure also applies to 21 seriously ill inmates, as determined by the chief medical officer of the Prison Administration, as well as 19 juvenile inmates and one inmate over the age of 65, all of whom have had their sentences fully remitted.
In addition, 18 convicts have received a partial remission of their sentences, while four individuals sentenced to life imprisonment have had their sentences commuted, the press release states.
This presidential act of clemency is part of the prison policy aimed at improving detention conditions, reducing prison overcrowding, and promoting the reintegration of individuals who have served part of their sentences.
A presidential pardon is a constitutional prerogative of the head of state. It is granted regularly on the occasion of certain national holidays or events and applies to individuals with final convictions,
in accordance with the conditions set forth in current legislation.
In April 2025, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had already granted pardons to 1,121 people convicted of various offenses.
TE/fss/as/APA