Thousands of prisoners freed in Zimbabwe under presidential amnesty

A prison officer escorts an elderly prisoner in a wheelchair after he was released from Harare Central Prison (Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP)

Authorities in Zimbabwe have begun releasing more than 4,000 prisoners under a presidential amnesty aimed at easing congestion in overcrowded jails.

About 800 prisoners have been freed from the Central Prison and Chikurubi Maximum Prison in the capital, Harare.