KHUJAND, July 25, Asia-Plus — Another seven women, members of the outlawed religious extremist Hizb ut-Tahrir organization, have been released from prison under Tajikistan’s amnesty law.

Farhod Masharipov, chief aide to the Sughd chief prosecutor, told Asia-Plus that the amnestied women had been held in the pretrial detention facility of the city of Istaravshan.  

In all, 746 people, including 72 women and 23 minors, have been released from prison in Sughd under the amnesty law adopted on occasion of the 10th anniversary of the National Peace Accord.  

The amnesty applies to veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and elderly, women, young and sick prisoners who are serving sentences for minor crimes. The amnesty does not apply to persons serving sentences for serious crime or for killing two and more people, recidivists or those who committed crimes in prisons.