Justice Minister Shmuel Tamir informed the Knesset today that no general amnesty will be granted on the occasion of Israel’s 30th anniversary celebrations as has been the case in the past. However, he proposed that a special committee review each case separately and decide whether the prisoner is entitled to an easing of punishment.
The decision was in line with the recommendations of a committee headed by Erwin Shimron which reported last month on the extent of organized crime in Israel. The report recommended against a general amnesty, noting that 70 percent of the prisoners pardoned in 1967 after the Six-Day War, were eventually returned to jail for other crimes.
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