Zanzibar — PRESIDENT Ali Mohamed Shein on Friday pardoned 16 prisoners from the Zanzibar reformatory colleges (prisons).According to a statement from the Zanzibar State House, among the inmates to be released are those convicted of petty offences and who have exhibited good behaviour.

Other beneficiaries of the presidential pardon are offenders aged 60 and above and also inmates who have terminal illnesses will be allowed to go home sooner than they expected.

"Inmates with serious offences such as armed robbery, murder, violence against women and children (like rape) and drugs are exempted from the release," the statement to the media reads. This is an annual exercise.

Section 59 of the Zanzibar Constitution empowers the president to grant amnesty to offenders after thorough recommendation from the prisons (reformatory colleges) administration.