Turkmenistan has pardoned more than 1,000 prisoners ahead of festivities marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. State media reported today, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov signed an amnesty order for 1,029 convicts in the ex-Soviet central Asian country nearly twice as many as the 612 convicts released in last year's mass pardon. It reported the President called for those pardoned to contribute to the large-scale work being carried out in the country and faithfully labour for the benefit of the Motherland.