Khalifa orders release of 873 prisoners

President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered the release of 873 prisoners serving terms in various prisons on the occasion of holy month of Ramadan. The President will also pay off the liabilities and debts of the released prisoners, against whom judgments have been issued in various financial cases. The noble gesture to release the prisoners, both citizens and residents from various nationalities, comes out of the President's keenness to give them the chance to begin a new life and ease suffering of their families. Commenting on the President's generous gesture, UAE Attorney General Salem Saeed Kubaish said the Presidential pardon offered the released prisoners a good opportunity to reintegrate into the social fabric as good, law-abiding citizens so as to contribute positively to the process of nation building and development. ''The pardon inculcates positive motives in the hearts and minds of the pardoned prisoners, spurring them to set their conduct right and follow the right path. It is a recipe of optimism about the future and a catalyst for those still behind the bars to follow their suit to get that privilege in future,'' the attorney general stated. The Attorney General of the emirate of Abu Dhabi Councillor Yusuf Saeed Al Ebry said that the Public Prosecution Department, in coordination with the AD Police, has already started the procedures to enforce the Presidential order. Al Ebry expressed profound gratitude to the President for this great humanitarian gesture which has brought happiness to many families. He also thanked H.H. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces for the support he extends to the Public Prosecution and the judiciary in the emirate. Al Ebry also hailed the continuous follow-up of the judicial process by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department H. H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.