A prison van transports inmates in Phnom Penh. The Ministry of Justice has recommended a royal pardon and sentence reduction for 90 out of 512 convicts in conjunction with the upcoming Water Festival. Heng Chivoan

Voun Dara

For a royal pardon, inmates have to serve at least two-thirds of their sentences after receiving a final verdict.

The Ministry of Justice has recommended a royal pardon and sentence reduction for 90 out of 512 convicts in conjunction with the upcoming Water Festival.

In its announcement on Tuesday, the ministry said the selection was made during a meeting held by a national committee tasked with reviewing the recommendations. Of the 90 convicts, of whom 17 are women, 80 were eligible for a sentence reduction of between six and 12 months. The remaining 10 inmates, two of whom are women, will receive a royal pardon.

Ministry spokesman Kim Santepheap said the committee excluded the other inmates because they had been convicted for drug trafficking and serious crimes that he said posed a threat to society.

“We cannot request a pardon or sentence reduction for them because they had been convicted of drug dealing and other heinous crimes. Other inmates were counted out because they lack sufficient paperwork,” he said.

https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/ ... -reduction