The Ethiopian Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday the pardon of 178 military personnel who were sentenced up to death for their involvement in crimes committed during the Tigray conflict. The pardon was granted as part of an amnesty marking the Ethiopian New Year.

According to the ministry's statement, the individuals were convicted by military courts for abandoning their constitutional duties and committing serious offenses against both the military and the public. Following their convictions, they had been serving prison sentences.

The pardon was approved after formal requests for clemency were submitted and reviewed by the Amnesty Board, the statement added.

The Tigray conflict began in November 2020 when Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces attacked federal army bases, sparking a war that claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions.

The conflict subsided after peace agreements were signed in Pretoria and Nairobi in November of last year. By Sadik Kedir Abdu,  Anadolu Agency