Vietnam has granted amnesty to more than 4,000 prisoners.

The Associated Press reports Giang Son, deputy chairman of the President’s Office, told reporters at a joint press conference on Wednesday that 4,384 inmates were granted amnesty under two directives signed by President Tran Dai Quang.

“The amnesty once again reflects the policy of leniency of our party and State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the humane tradition of our nation,” the AP cited Son as saying.

International human rights groups as well as some other Western governments have urged Vietnam’s government to release all prisoners of conscience jailed for peacefully expressing their views, but Hanoi says only those who broke the law are locked up.

The AP reports 14 foreigners are among the group of prisoners to be released. It cites Vice Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc as saying nine of those foreigners are from China, three from Laos and one each from South Korea and Australia.

Since 2009, state media reports more than 81,000 prisoners have received early release and 919 others given reprieves of their sentences.

– with Associated Press