Manuel Maria Mercedes, president of the National Commission of Human Rights, said he would renounce his seat on the Commission for Prison Pardons due to the serious irregularities of the process. Mercedes says the government chose to pardon 10 people who had been rejected by the commission, and excluded others that had been approved. Mercedes says this is a repeat of what happened last December. President Mejia pardoned 416 inmates on 27 February, excusing them from having to serve their sentences or granting indemnity. As reported in Hoy newspaper, Mercedes said he would not be an accomplice in such actions.
To date, President Mejia has pardoned more than 2,700 inmates, a record in the history of DR Presidential terms of office.