Sheikh Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the ruler of United Arab Emirates city Sharjah, on Tuesday said all prisoners from Kerala who have completed three years in jail for civil offences will be released soon.

Al Qasimi was on the last day of his three-day visit to Kerala at the invitation of the state government.

During their meeting on Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had requested Al Qasimi to release all those from the state who were in Sharjah jails for more than three years. The ruler has also allowed those who are released to continue to stay and work in Sharjah, the chief minister said on Facebook.

The Sharjah ruler said the amnesty will be extended to prisoners from other countries too.

Al Qasimi made the announcement after accepting the honorary DLitt conferred on him by the University of Calicut at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.