Sudan to free all women prisoners

The authorities in Sudan say they're preparing to release all women prisoners held for violating laws on public order.

The women are mostly poor Christians from the south who have been jailed for brewing and selling alcohol -- which is forbidden by the Islamist government.

The head of the prison service, General Hijazi Abdun Osman, told the BBC that more than five-hundred women had already been freed from a special prison near Khartoum.

He said the women were being given a chance to start a new life after a decree from President Bashir.

A BBC correspondent in the region says many people in Sudan believe the move is an attempt by the president to win support ahead of elections promised later this year.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service