King Mohammed VI of Morocco has pardoned or reduced the prison sentences of 10,000 people to mark the 50th anniversary of independence, Justice Ministry officials said on Thursday.
It was the largest ever number of prisoners involved in a royal pardon, which is customary in the North African kingdom to mark national and religious holidays.
Local media said the widely expected move was also aimed at relieving the country's overcrowded prisons.
A total of 5,000 prisoners will be released immediately and a further 5,000 will have their sentences reduced said a statement from the Justice Ministry.
They included 336 foreigners and 25 detainees who had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
A senior ministry official said there were no Islamic militants jailed on terrorism charges among those pardoned. He had no details on the nationalities of foreigners affected.
"The list is drafted by the royal palace, it did not include any Islamists this time," he said.
Earlier this month, more than 100 Islamic militants, most of them jailed after suicide attacks in Casablanca two years ago, were released as part of a pardon to mark the end of Ramadan.
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