The military junta has announced the release of 8,665 people, including prisoners and detainees charged under Section 505(a), claiming the move is intended to ensure that all eligible voters do not lose their right to vote in its planned election.
According to the announcement dated September 26, the junta issued three orders: a pardon, a sentence reduction, and the closure of ongoing cases under Section 505(a). These orders were broadcast in the 8 p.m. news on September 26.
Under the pardon order, 724 prisoners serving sentences under Section 505(a) in prisons and detention centers were released with the condition that “if they reoffend, the remaining sentence and any new penalties will be applied.”
The sentence-reduction order states that detainees convicted under Section 505(a), who still had time left to serve in prisons, labor camps, or detention centers, were granted reduced sentences.
In addition, the junta announced the closure of 5,580 ongoing cases for individuals charged under Section 505(a) or under Penal Code Section 512 for evading arrest.
However, the junta has not disclosed the names of the prisons or detention centers from which these individuals were released.
Since the military coup, more than 30,000 people have been arrested nationwide, and 22,708 of them remain in prisons and detention centers, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
