Commutations of sentence and acts of clemency
Archive theme
A death sentence can be turned into a prison sentence by an act of clemency: commutation, pardon, amnesty, remission. These rest with heads of state, courts and clemency boards, and not infrequently arrive within hours of an execution.
For the association they are a concrete front: every commutation is a life, and the countries that grant many of them are often the ones closest to a moratorium in fact. This page collects the news on commutations, pardons and acts of clemency.
Latest news
- SEPTEMBER 23, 2020TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Gilmar Guevara's death sentence commuted.
USA - Texas. Gilmar Guevara's death sentence commuted.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: FILIPINO DEATH ROW CONVICT GETS AMIR PARDON
A Filipino who was sentenced to death in Kuwait for the murder of his Filipina partner in October 2007 has been pardoned by the nation's Amir, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on 12 September 2020.
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020ThailandDEATH PENALTYTHAILAND: THE KING COMMUTES THE DEATH PENALTY TO SPANISH ARTUR SEGARRA FOR LIFE
The King of Thailand has commuted the death penalty to which the Spanish Artur Segarra was sentenced for the murder in 2016 of his compatriot David Bernat in Bangkok, to life imprisonment, the Corrections Department confirmed to Efe on 17 August 2020.
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED IN JAMAL KHASHOGGI MURDER CASE
A court in Saudi Arabia on 7 September 2020 commuted the death sentences handed to five people convicted over the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
- SEPTEMBER 2, 2020ThailandDEATH PENALTY
THAILAND: KING COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE FOR MYANMAR MEN IN BRITISH TOURIST MURDER CASE
Two migrant workers from Myanmar on death row in Thailand for the 2014 murder of two British backpackers had their sentences commuted to life in prison on 14 August 2020 thanks to a royal decree.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2020IllinoisDEATH PENALTYUSA - Illinois. Renaldo Hudson was released.
USA - Illinois. Renaldo Hudson was released.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2020OhioDEATH PENALTYUSA - Ohio. Jeffrey Hill was released on parole on September 1, 2020
USA - Ohio. Jeffrey Hill was released on parole on September 1, 2020
AUGUST 26, 2020United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA - Federal. Lezmond Mitchell, the only Native American on death row, was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute.
USA - Federal. Lezmond Mitchell, the only Native American on death row, was executed at the federal prison in Terre Haute.
- AUGUST 14, 2020North CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - North Carolina. The State Supreme Court vacated the death sentence of Marcus Robinson
USA - North Carolina. The State Supreme Court vacated the death sentence of Marcus Robinson
AUGUST 6, 2020ConnecticutDEATH PENALTYUSA - Connecticut. The Connecticut Supreme Court granted a new trial to Lazale Ashby
USA - Connecticut. The Connecticut Supreme Court granted a new trial to Lazale Ashby
AUGUST 1, 2020MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: KING MOHAMMED VI OFFERS ROYAL PARDON TO 1,446 CONVICTS
King Mohammed VI has ordered a royal pardon for 1,446 convicts on the eve of Throne Day, which will take place on 30 July 2020.
JULY 30, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: DEATH ROW CONVICTS FREED DUE TO ‘LIFE EXPECTANCY RIGHT’
The Supreme Court has overturned death sentence of two brothers – Sikandar Hayat and Jamshed Ali – who have spent 27 years of their lives in jail on account of “the right of expectancy of life”.
JULY 23, 2020BahrainDEATH PENALTYBAHRAIN: KING URGED TO COMMUTE DEATH SENTENCES OF PRO-DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS
More than a dozen human rights groups have signed an open letter to Bahrain's king in a last-ditch attempt to commute the death sentences of two activists who were charged with killing an officer by bombing a police convoy in 2014.
JULY 6, 2020GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO GRANTS AMNESTY TO 794 PRISONERS
President Akufo-Addo has granted amnesty to 794 prisoners in Ghana as part of efforts to decongest the prisons in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
JULY 1, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: CONVICT SET FREE AFTER SPENDING 21 YEARS ON DEATH ROW
Muhammad Iqbal, who spent the last 21 years on death row for a crime he was convicted of committing when he was a juvenile, has been released, according to the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP).
JUNE 23, 2020ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: TWO TAXI DRIVER KILLERS SENTENCED TO DEATH
A High Court judge has condemned two robbers to death for killing a taxi driver in Harare two years ago, The Herald reported on 22 June 2020.
JUNE 23, 2020IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MADRAS HC SETS ASIDE DEATH SENTENCE OF FIVE ACCUSED IN TAMIL NADU HONOUR KILLING CASE; GIRL'S FATHER ACQUITTED
The Madras high court acquitted on 22 June 2020 a man found guilty of the daylight killing of his son-in-law, a Dalit, and commuted the death sentence handed to five others in connection with the gruesome crime that sparked public outrage in Tamil Nadu ov
JUNE 22, 2020KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: TWO COPS TO SERVE 10-YEAR JAIL TERM AFTER SUCCESSFUL APPEAL
The Court of Appeal on 19 June 2020 reduced the death sentence of two police officers convicted of murdering an Administration Police officer and two relatives of an MP.
JUNE 9, 2020PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: DEATH SENTENCE IN JUVENILE CASE COMMUTED
A Pakistani court on 8 June 2020 commuted the death sentence for a defendant who has spent the last 18 years on death row for a crime he was convicted of committing when he was a juvenile, a local advocacy group said.
JUNE 8, 2020TexasDEATH PENALTYUSA - Texas. Bobby Moore Granted Parole After 40 Years on Death Row.
USA - Texas. Bobby Moore Granted Parole After 40 Years on Death Row.
JUNE 5, 2020North CarolinaDEATH PENALTYUSA - North Carolina. State Supreme Court Strikes Down Racial Justice Act Repeal
USA - North Carolina. State Supreme Court Strikes Down Racial Justice Act Repeal
- JUNE 4, 2020DEATH PENALTY
IRAN: AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI PARDONED 3,721 CONVICTS
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on the occasion of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr pardoned or commuted prison terms of 3,721 convicts.
- MAY 24, 2020IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN - Ali Khamenei pardoned 3,721 convicts
IRAN - Ali Khamenei pardoned 3,721 convicts
MAY 21, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Hedayat Abdollahpour likely executed on June 21 in Oshnavieh prison.
IRAN - Hedayat Abdollahpour likely executed on June 21 in Oshnavieh prison.
MAY 19, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Arsalan Khodkam, a Kurdish political prisoner, is at risk of execution
IRAN - Arsalan Khodkam, a Kurdish political prisoner, is at risk of execution
MAY 17, 2020IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - Concerns Over Fate of Hedayat Abdollahpour, a Kurdish Political Prisoner, 9 days After Disappearance.
IRAN - Concerns Over Fate of Hedayat Abdollahpour, a Kurdish Political Prisoner, 9 days After Disappearance.
- MAY 5, 2020DEATH PENALTY
OHIO (USA): PAROLE BOARD RECOMMENDS LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE FOR GREGORY LOTT
The Ohio State Parole Board is recommending Gov. Mike DeWine commute an East Cleveland killer’s death sentence to life in prison without parole.
MAY 1, 2020OhioDEATH PENALTYUSA - Ohio. Parole Board Recommends Life Without Parole For Gregory Lott.
USA - Ohio. Parole Board Recommends Life Without Parole For Gregory Lott.
- APRIL 29, 2020DEATH PENALTY
APPEAL OF HANDS OFF CAIN TO PROTECT THE TURKISH LAWYERS EBRU TIMTIK AND AYTAC UYSAL, AND FOR THE END AF ALL-OUT HUNGER STRIKE
Hands Off Cain, faced with the news of the detention of Turkish lawyers Ebru Timtik and Aytac Uysal, on hunger strike for 116 and 84 days respectively, expresses its solidarity with the two human rights defenders and asks for their immediate release, toge
APRIL 21, 2020TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: COALITION PETITIONS PRESIDENT TO PARDON DEATH ROW INMATE TORTURED INTO CONFESSION
One week after Taiwan saw its second execution during the tenure of President Tsai Ing-wen, a coalition of NGOs, lawyers, and academics sent her a petition for a presidential pardon for another inmate — Chiou Ho-shun, who over three decades ago was senten
