Ethiopia pardons 178 soldiers sentenced to death for crimes during the Tigray war

Ethiopia's Ministry of Defense announced today Tuesday that it has pardoned 178 soldiers sentenced to death for their involvement in crimes committed during the Tigray war.

A statement from the Ministry of Defense of Ethiopia has said that: "The action has been taken as part of the amnesty to celebrate the Ethiopian New Year."

According to the statement of the ministry, these people were convicted by military courts for abandoning their constitutional duties and committing serious crimes against the army and the people of Ethiopia. Those soldiers are those who were already serving their sentences in prison.

The statement added that: "The amnesty has been approved after an official request for mercy from the prisoners was made and approved by the Pardon Board."

According to the Anadolu news agency, the crisis in Tigray began in November 2020 when the forces of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) began to attack government army camps and led to a war that led to the killing of hundreds of thousands of people and making millions of other people refugees. who were forced to evacuate their homes due to fierce fighting between the two sides, as reported by the organization.

The conflict subsided after peace agreements were signed in Pretoria, South Africa, and Nairobi, Kenya, in November last year.