361 suspects who had been charged with involvement in Ethiopia’s deadly riots in 2016 were released on Monday.
The East African nation’s Southern regional state freed the suspects, urging them to engage in productive activities.
Attorney General for Justice Office at Southern regional state Seifu Keneso said the aim of the pardon was to encourage them to make their societies better.
141 individuals suspected of grave offences including murder, severe bodily harm and rapes will have their criminal cases continue.
Parts of Ethiopia’s Southern regional state were convulsed in deadly ethnic riots in October 2016 which left at least 34 people dead.
The disturbance centered on Gedeo zone of Southern regional state saw ethnic Gedeos attack the properties of other ethnicities which they accuse of unfairly exploiting their resources.
Gedeo zone is a key coffee producing region in Ethiopia earning the country millions of U.S. dollars in coffee exports annually.
