The Turkmen Prosecutor-General\'s Office announced on 9 November that 9,000 prisoners have been released under an amnesty in honor of the Muslim holiday of Laylat al-Qadr. Among the freed prisoners are 150 foreign citizens. A full list of prisoners covered by the amnesty was published in national newspapers on 24 October. End-of-Ramadan amnesties for prisoners convicted of lesser offenses have been an annual tradition in Turkmenistan since parliament passed a law on amnesties in 1999. According to turkmenistan.ru, 130,000 prisoners have been amnestied in the country over 12 years of independence. (RFE/RL)