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
- OCTOBER 2, 2019DEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. The Court of Criminal Appeals rejected a judge's finding that Paul Storey should be resentenced to life in prison
USA - Texas. The Court of Criminal Appeals rejected a judge's finding that Paul Storey should be resentenced to life in prison
OCTOBER 1, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: SEVEN CONDEMNED INMATES, 18 OTHERS GET PARDON IN ONDO
The Ondo State government has pardoned 18 inmates across the various prison facilities in the state.
OCTOBER 1, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BEANT SINGH ASSASSIN RAJOANA’S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED
The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to commute the death sentence of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was convicted for the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, to life imprisonment.
SEPTEMBER 16, 2019SyriaDEATH PENALTYSYRIA: PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD DECREES AMNESTY, REDUCES SENTENCES
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on 15 September 2019 issued a decree to release or decrease the punishment of various prisoners, including some detained under the war-torn country's "terrorism law".
SEPTEMBER 6, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: ZAMFARA GOVERNOR PARDONS 150 INMATES, INCLUDING FIVE ON DEATH ROW
The governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawallen, on 9 August 2019 granted amnesty to 150 inmates at the Gusau Maximum Security Prison.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: KERALA HIGH COURT COMMUTES CONTRACTOR’S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE SENTENCE
The Kerala High Court on 29 August 2019 commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded by the Kasaragod Sessions Court to a civil contractor for the murder of 14-year-old Safiya, a maidservant who was working in his house.
- AUGUST 30, 2019TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
USA - Tennessee. Death sentence of Abu-Ali Abdur’Rahman vacated
USA - Tennessee. Death sentence of Abu-Ali Abdur’Rahman vacated
AUGUST 9, 2019MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: KING PARDONS 3 INDONESIANS WHO HAD BEEN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
Three Indonesian citizens returned to their homeland on 7 August 2019 after they were granted pardons by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia).
AUGUST 2, 2019IndonesiaDEATH PENALTYINDONESIA: FRENCH DRUG SMUGGLER'S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED
A French drug smuggler's death sentence was commuted on 2 August 2019 by an Indonesian court to 19 years in prison, less than three months after the surprise ruling put in him line for execution by firing squad.
AUGUST 1, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: BOMBAY HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF TWO CONVICTS
More than two years after their mercy petitions were rejected by the President, the Bombay High Court on 29 July 2019 commuted the death sentence of two convicts - Purushottam Borate and Pradeep Kokade - for the 2007 kidnapping, rape and murder of a BPO e
JULY 29, 2019MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: KING GRANTS ROYAL PARDONS TO DETAINEES OF HIRAK RIF, RECONCILIATION PROGRAM APPLICANTS
The Ministry of Justice issued a statement on 29 July 2019 to announce the royal pardons granted in the event of the King Mohammed’s 20th Throne Day.
JUNE 24, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SC TURNS DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN TERRORISM CASE
The Supreme Court on 21 June 2019 overturned the death sentence awarded to a murder convict by a trial court in 2007, converting the sentence into life imprisonment.
- JUNE 24, 2019OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. The Ohio Supreme Court cancelled the October execution of Angelo Fears
USA - Ohio. The Ohio Supreme Court cancelled the October execution of Angelo Fears
JUNE 19, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: MADHYA PRADESH HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF 5-YEAR-OLD'S RAPIST IN JABALPUR
A division bench of MP high court on 17 June 2019 commuted the death sentence awarded to a 19-year-old boy, who had raped and killed his five-year-old cousin at a village under Katangi police station in Jabalpur district. The court commuted the death pena
JUNE 11, 2019EgyptDEATH PENALTYEGYPT: COURT OF CASSATION COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY, UPHOLDS JAIL TERMS IN 2013 STORMING OF KERDASA POLICE STATION
Egypt’s Court of Cassation on 10 June 2019 commuted a death sentence against a defendant convicted in the case of the storming of the Kerdasa police station in Giza in July 2013, and has upheld life imprisonment terms against three other men in the same c
- JUNE 5, 2019MoroccoDEATH PENALTY
MOROCCO: THE KING PARDONS 755 CONVICTS ON THE OCCASION OF EID AL FITR
On the occasion of Eid Al Fitr, HM King Mohammed VI granted his pardon to 755 people sentenced by the different Moroccan courts, said a statement by the Justice ministry.
- MAY 17, 2019DEATH PENALTY
TENNESSEE (USA): DONNIE EDWARD JOHNSON EXECUTED
Donnie Edward Johnson was executed in Tennessee on 16 May 2019.
- MAY 16, 2019TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
USA - Tennessee. Donnie Edward Johnson was executed today.
USA - Tennessee. Donnie Edward Johnson was executed today.
MAY 15, 2019BelarusDEATH PENALTYBELARUS: SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE IN DOUBLE-MURDER CASE
The Belarusian Supreme Court has upheld a death sentence for a man convicted of murdering two women, despite calls from the European Union for Minsk bring an end to capital punishment.
MAY 13, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SHC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES FOR SHAHRUKH JATOI, SIRAJ TALPUR IN SHAHZEB MURDER CASE
The Sindh High Court on 13 May 2019 commuted the death sentences handed to Shahrukh Jatoi and Siraj Talpur in the Shahzeb Khan murder case into life imprisonment as it announced its verdict on their appeals against conviction in the case.
APRIL 29, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: 20 CONDEMNED CONVICTS ESCAPE DEATH AS AMBODE COMMUTES SENTENCES
No fewer than 20 condemned prisoners in Lagos were saved from the hangman when the state government commuted their death sentences to life imprisonment just as it freed 14 inmates who had spent 20 years in prison, This Day reported on 27 April 2019.
- APRIL 3, 2019TennesseeDEATH PENALTY
USA - Tennesse. Cynthia Vaughn seeks mercy for Donnie Edward Johnson.
USA - Tennesse. Cynthia Vaughn seeks mercy for Donnie Edward Johnson.
FEBRUARY 7, 2019PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SHC COMMUTES MURDERER’S DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
The Sindh High Court (SHC) commuted on 28 January 2019 the death sentence of a criminal, convicted of committing a murder during a robbery bid.
FEBRUARY 6, 2019ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: GOVT REMOVES 34 FROM DEATH ROW TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT AS DEATH SENTENCE PHASES OUT
Government has shown its commitment towards abolishing the death penalty in line with international human rights obligations after it commuted sentences of 34 inmates on death row to life terms, a Cabinet minister said on 31 January 2019.
FEBRUARY 6, 2019TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: MURDERER’S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED BY HIGH COURT
Sun Kuo-huang was spared the death sentence on 24 February 2019 in favor of life imprisonment in the fourth retrial for 2010 murder of a graduate student in Kaohsiung.
- FEBRUARY 2, 2019United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Death-Penalty Film, ‘Clemency,’ Wins Sundance Festival Best Drama Award.
USA - Death-Penalty Film, ‘Clemency,’ Wins Sundance Festival Best Drama Award.
JANUARY 24, 2019EthiopiaDEATH PENALTYETHIOPIA: ABIY PARDONS 13,000 ACCUSED OF TREASON OR TERRORISM
Ethiopia has pardoned more than 13,000 people in the past six months who had been charged with or convicted of treason or terrorism, state-affiliated media said on 22 January 2019.
JANUARY 14, 2019MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: KING MOHAMMED VI PARDONS 783 PRISONERS
The Ministry of Justice in Rabat on 13 January 2019 has announced that King Mohammed VI has graciously pardoned 783 prisoners as part of the celebrations for the 75th Anniversary of the Manifesto of Independence.
JANUARY 11, 2019IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC COMMUTES PUNE BUS ACCIDENT CONVICT'S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE SENTENCE
The Supreme Court on 9 January 2019 commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded to bus driver Santosh Mane, convicted for killing nine people in 2012, by mowing them down in Pune.
JANUARY 7, 2019NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: AKEREDOLU COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF 3 INMATES TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT, PARDONS 12
Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on 31 December 2018 commuted the death sentence of three prison inmates to life imprisonment, while he granted pardon to 12 others as part of activities to mark the New Year celebration.