Turkmen president pardons prisoners on Night of Decree

The prisoners, convicted of various crimes, are to be released on August 3, when the Islamic world will celebrate the twenty seventh night of Ramadan as Laylat al-Qadr. The pardon has been an annual practice for the last twenty years, with over 25,000 liberated so far. President Berdimuhamedov said the government strove to ensure the prisoners' reintegration into society and their employment. Laylat al-Qadr has a unique place on the Islamic calendar and is held in high esteem by Muslims around the world, who believe the Islamic holy scripture, Qur'an, began to be revealed on this night. Thousands of prisoners are released every year in Turkmenistan on such special days as those that mark the country's independence, flag, and constitution.