Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has granted a royal pardon to 591 people to mark Youth Day, continuing a longstanding national tradition associated with key celebrations.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed the decision in an official statement on Wednesday evening, announcing that the pardons covered both current inmates and individuals convicted or prosecuted while at large.
Of those pardoned, 445 are currently incarcerated.
Among them, three prisoners will have the remainder of their sentences completely cancelled, 441 will receive sentence reductions, and one inmate will see a life sentence commuted to a fixed-term sentence.
A further 146 individuals who have been convicted or prosecuted but remain outside prison will also benefit from the royal clemency.
Of these, 39 will have their prison sentences dropped, eight will retain fines despite being spared custodial punishment, 91 will only receive pardons on fines, and eight will see both their prison sentences and fines cancelled.
The royal pardon comes just three weeks after a similar act of clemency was granted during the anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, when 881 individuals were pardoned.
Royal pardons hold deep symbolic and political significance in Morocco, often seen as a gesture of social reconciliation and an emblem of national unity during key religious and national holidays.
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