French amnesty excludes multiple offenders

United Press International
Tuesday, July 12, 2005 12:00 a.m. | Tuesday, July 12, 2005 12:00 a.m.

France's annual Bastille Day pardons on July 14 will not apply to multiple offenders, the presidential Elysee Palace announced Tuesday.

President Jacques Chirac grants the pardons to a slice of the country's prison population every year. But -- except for certain, narrowly defined cases - they will not include those imprisoned for two or more offenses.

Overall, July 14 grace to prisoners will be "more restrictive" than last year, the presidential press office announced.

Besides scoring points among the penal population, the presidential pardons also help relieve prison overcrowding in France.

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