But the country's leading civil rights organization, Minkahyup, criticized the action as inadequate, noting that most of those affected were traffic offenders and petty criminals.
Minkahyup had urged the president to release some 500 inmates it describes as ''prisoners of conscience,'' including 23 long-term political prisoners.
But only 12 political prisoners were released, including six the Justice Ministry said were being freed because they are 70 years old or older. All six had been serving life terms and human rights groups said all had been subjected to torture, some for decades.
While the vast majority of those affected by the amnesty simply had their records wiped clean of traffic and other minor offenses, 2,304 prison inmates being held for more serious crimes also were freed.
In a preliminary report on the massacre in the southern state of Chiapas, the agency said some state police officers apparently helped the attackers by transporting automatic weapons in police vehicles.
The report indicates the conspiracy to carry out the massacre was broader and began earlier than officials had said.
More than 150 arrest orders have been issued in the Dec. 22 slayings in Acteal, according to a the report, read at a news conference by Deputy Attorney General Jose Luis Ramos Rivera. He said many of those sought remain at large.
03-13-98
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