More than 7,500 prisoners have been pardoned in the Ethiopian state of Oromia, bringing the number of those released there in the last year to more than 30,000.
Those freed in this round had not been found guilty of murder, rape or corruption, Taye Dendea, from Oromia’s justice bureau, told the BBC.
Ethiopia has been hit by a wave of political unrest in recent years.
Mr Taye, who was himself detained for some months for speaking to the foreign media during Ethiopia’s state of emergency that ended last year, insists there are now no political prisoners in the region.
Ethiopia has dropped cases against thousands of prisoners, including high-profile opposition leaders, in the last year.
The move has been welcomed by human rights groups but they say thousands more are still behind bars.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahimed took office last month hoping to quell the protests.
He has also pledged to release Andargachew Tsige, a UK citizen and opposition leader, who was seized in 2014 when changing planes in Yemen and forced to go to Ethiopia where he had been sentenced to death in absentia for his political activities.
