AMNESTY

[noun] [C] - a decision, esp. by a government, not to use the usual punishments for crime, or a period of time for which this lastsMost political prisoners were freed under the terms of the amnesty.People who hand in illegal weapons will not be prosecuted during the amnesty.The government refused to declare an amnesty for people who had not paid the disputed tax.Amnesty International is an international organization which works to persuade governments to release people who are in prison for their beliefs and to stop the use of torture and punishment by death.