President Adama Barrow has pardoned 121 prisoners serving time for various offences as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

The inmates were pardoned in line with the Prerogative of Mercy Act that grant the president the powers to pardon prisoners. 

Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu, Senior Information Officer, The Gambia Government, said:

“As part of measures to curb COVID-19 and decongest prisons, His Excellency President Adama Barrow, in exercise of his Prerogative of Mercy, has immediately pardoned some (sic) 121 prisoners.

“Seventy eight (78) of those inmates are from the Mile 2 Central Prison in Banjul, twenty four (24) from Jeshwang prison within the Kanifing Municipality and thirteen (13) from Janjangbureh Prison in the Central River Region (CRR).

“Ever since his coming to power in January 2017, President Barrow has consistently granted amnesty to prisoners. Soon after assuming office Barrow in a magnanimous gesture emptied Mile Prisons of all political detainees and prisoners some of whom were languishing behind the prison walls for decades without court appearance.”

This article was amended on 27 April 2020 to clarify the number of prisoners freed by the president.