U.S. President Joe Biden has granted a pardon to his son Hunter

US President Joe Biden, who leaves the White House in January, has announced that he has granted his son Hunter Biden a pardon.

In a statement released by the White House on Sunday, Biden said: "Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. "From the first day I took office, I said I would not interfere in the Justice Department's decisions, and I have kept my word even as I witnessed my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted."

"I hope the American people understand why a father, a president, made this decision," Biden said.

The White House has repeatedly said Biden would not pardon or commute Hunter's sentence. Hunter, a recovering drug addict, has been the target of attacks from Republicans, including President-elect Trump.

"Any reasonable person who looks at the factual evidence in Hunter's case can only come to one conclusion, because Hunter is my son," Biden said.

He said: "There have been attempts to bring Hunt down and, despite relentless attacks and selective prosecution, he has been drug-free for five and a half years. These people are trying to bring me down by going after Hunt. I have no reason to believe they will stop doing so. I've had enough."

The U.S. Justice Department in December accused Hunter of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes while spending millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle. According to the indictment filed in the Central District Court of California, Hunter is guilty of three felonies and six misdemeanors involving tax evasion, including failure to file and pay taxes, tax evasion and filing false returns.

Hunter pleaded guilty to all nine charges in a tax crimes trial on September 5 this year at a federal court in Los Angeles, California.

Hunt had previously refused to plead guilty. According to media reports, as jury selection began in court on the morning of September 5, Hunter's lawyer suddenly and unexpectedly announced that Hunter was ready to change his plea of not guilty. Hunter had sought a special deal in which he admitted that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him, but could insist that he was innocent. After the prosecution refused, Hunter pleaded guilty to all charges to the judge.

Sentencing in Hunter's tax case is scheduled for December, and he could face up to 17 years in prison and $1.3 million in fines. In addition to the tax charges, Hunter was convicted in June of three felony counts of possessing an illegal firearm, and sentencing is likely to take place in mid-October.

Hunter, 54, is Biden's only surviving son. Biden has repeatedly told the media that if his son is found guilty, he will not grant him a pardon before leaving office.