Moroccan king pardons 653 prisoners on revolution anniversary

Moroccan King Mohammed VI has pardoned 653 prisoners on the anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People, the Ministry of Justice said in a statement on Sunday.

Some of the inmates were granted freedom, some had their prison terms shortened, while others had their fines reduced or annulled, according to the statement.

The statement added that 16 prisoners convicted in cases of extremism and terrorism were pardoned. Eight of them will be freed, one will have his fines canceled and released, and the sentences of the remaining seven prisoners have been shortened.

The Revolution of the King and the People, which is celebrated in Morocco on August 20 every year, commemorates the kingdom's struggle for independence from colonial rule.