HANOI (AFP): Vietnam said on Friday it will release nearly 14,000 prisoners, including foreigners, ahead of the country's national day celebrations, in a record number of detainees freed in a single year.
The communist nation often announces amnesties before important events and released more than 8,000 prisoners in April, ahead of the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon.
From Monday, authorities will "grant amnesty to 13,915 prisoners serving prison sentences", Can Dinh Tai from the president's office said at a news conference.
The detainees about to be released include 66 foreigners of 18 different nationalities, including those from China, South Korea, the United States and Australia.
Le Van Tuyen, the deputy minister of public security, said "the total number of prisoners released this year is the biggest ever".
Prisoners convicted of "attempting to overthrow" the government or "terrorism" are not eligible for release, according to Vietnamese law.
Since 2009 Vietnam has freed around 100,000 prisoners ahead of their expected release dates, although political activists have never been included.
The public security ministry said more than 190,000 prisoners across Vietnam were serving jail terms.
The South-East Asian country on Tuesday will celebrate 80 years of independence from French colonial rule, with a parade in the capital Hanoi. - AFP
