Presidential pardon for six Armenians jailed for coup

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

LIBREVILLE--- President Teodoro Obiang Nguema has pardoned six Armenian pilots who were sentenced to between 14 and 24 years in prison last November for allegedly taking part in a mercenary plot to overthrow him.

In a decree read on national radio on the occasion of his 63rd birthday on Sunday, the head of the tiny oil-rich West African state said the pardon was "a humanitarian gesture" and ordered their immediate release and "repatriation to their homeland."

According to a translated report on the BBC monitoring service, the Armenian TV AL+ website said the six Armenians, who repeatedly proclaimed their innocence, are to be brought home this week and are currently being treated in hospital.