Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno pardoned 259 of the 262 people jailed in December during deadly clashes between police and protesters in the capital, N’Djamena.
During the clashes, they were convicted of unauthorized assembly, property destruction, arson, violence, and assault, among other things.
It comes just days after 380 rebels sentenced to life in prison for the death of the current president’s father, former ruler Idriss Deby Itno, were also pardoned in an apparent peace gesture.
In 2021, the late Idriss Deby was killed during a counter-insurgency operation. He had been in power for 30 years.
