Jordan's King Abdullah II ordered Monday the release of dozens of jailed protesters, ending their month-long detention following an international outcry, dpa reported.
King Abdullah instructed the government to release 116 citizens detained during a series of at-times violent protests over fuel prices.
The decision came amid mounting criticisms of the arrests by international rights groups, which claim Amman has also detained nine minors as part of its security crackdown.
The monarch, however, declined to pardon 13 detainees who are facing charges of criminal conspiracy, vandalism and theft for acts allegedly committed during the wave of protests, which in their first 72 hours left over 70 injuries and led to the death of one citizen and two policemen.
Authorities had referred the bulk of the detainees to the country's State Security Court, where they faced charges of illegal gathering, insulting the king and "undermining the political regime" - charges that could have landed each activist up to 10 years in prison.
Among the detainees are 46 members of the Muslim Brotherhood, Jordan's largest opposition force, including a leader of the movement's political party, the Islamic Action Front.
Angry protests over a government decision to cut fuel subsidies rocked Jordan for nearly three weeks starting in November and marked the first times pro-democracy protesters began demanding a "regime change" in the country.
Amman has refused to go back on the decision, claiming that the slashing of 1.2 billion dollars in subsidies is necessary to avert a wider "financial crisis."
