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
DECEMBER 17, 2018United StatesDEATH PENALTYDPIC 2018 YEAR END REPORT: DEATH PENALTY USAGE STAYS NEAR GENERATIONAL LOWS
The long-term decline of death-penalty use in the U.S. continued in 2018, as a twentieth state abolished capital punishment and executions and new death sentences remained near generational lows.
DECEMBER 14, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC COMMUTES TO LIFE DEATH SENTENCE OF A MAN WHO KILLED SIX PEOPLE
The Supreme Court on 12 December 2018 commuted to life imprisonment the death penalty awarded to a man for hacking to death six members of a family in Kerala in 2001.
- DECEMBER 14, 2018United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - DPIC 2018 Year End Report: Death Penalty Usage Stays Near Generational Lows.
USA - DPIC 2018 Year End Report: Death Penalty Usage Stays Near Generational Lows.
- DECEMBER 13, 2018CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. 6 former governors call on California’s governor to grant clemency to death row prisoners.
USA - California. 6 former governors call on California’s governor to grant clemency to death row prisoners.
- DECEMBER 6, 2018ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - Connecticut. State's last death row inmate, Richard Roszkowski, resentenced to life in prison.
USA - Connecticut. State's last death row inmate, Richard Roszkowski, resentenced to life in prison.
- DECEMBER 3, 2018NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: AREGBESOLA PARDONS FOUR DEATH ROW PRISONERS, TWO OTHERS
The immediate past governor of Osun State, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, pardoned four inmates on death row and commuted the sentences of two others on death row to 10 years, in one of his last duties in office, punchng.com reported on 29 November 2018.
- NOVEMBER 5, 2018South SudanDEATH PENALTY
SOUTH SUDAN: PRESIDENT PARDONS TWO PROMINENT DEATH ROW INMATES
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir on 31 October 2018 ordered the release of James Gatdet Dak the spokesperson of SPLM-IO leader.
NOVEMBER 2, 2018South SudanDEATH PENALTYS SUDAN PARDONS DEATH SENTENCED S AFRICAN
South Sudan President Salva Kiir decided to pardon death sentenced South African William Endley, SAnews reported on 1 November 2018.
OCTOBER 30, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY OF RAPE CONVICT
The Madhya Pradesh High Court on 26 October 2018 commuted to rigorous imprisonment for 20 years the death sentence awarded to a rickshaw driver who was accused of penetrating a four-year-old girl with his finger after a five-day trial.
OCTOBER 29, 2018SingaporeDEATH PENALTYSINGAPORE: FAMILY’S LAWYER CONFIRMS PRABU HANGED
It has been confirmed that Malaysian citizen Prabu N. Pathmanathan was hanged at Changi prison at dawn on 26 October 2018 for drug trafficking, according to his family’s lawyer N. Surendran.
OCTOBER 15, 2018SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: 28 REBEL FIGHTERS STILL DETAINED DESPITE 2017 PRESIDENTIAL AMNESTY
States Council representative Abdelrahman Banat announced on 10 October 2018 that there are seven prisoners of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and 21 prisoners from the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) at El Huda prison in Sudan's second city
- OCTOBER 15, 2018AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Judge James Patterson switched the death sentence of Lam Luong to life in prison.
USA - Alabama. Judge James Patterson switched the death sentence of Lam Luong to life in prison.
OCTOBER 11, 2018MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY; BILL MAY BE TABLED SOON
The Malaysian government has decided to abolish the death penalty and a proposed Bill is expected to be tabled at the next parliament sitting, local media reported on 10 October 2018.
OCTOBER 9, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: CALCUTTA HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF SEVEN FOR WITCH-HUNTING 3 WOMEN
The Calcutta High Court has commuted to life the death sentence of seven men guilty of killing three women believing them to be witches, livelaw.in reported on 7 October 2018.
OCTOBER 3, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO LIFE TERM
The Jaipur high court on September 27, 2018 commuted the death sentence of Prasandeep alias Panna, accused in the murder of a businessman Ghan Shyam Agarwal in Behror, to life term
OCTOBER 1, 2018KenyaDEATH PENALTYKENYA: AL SHABAAB YOUTHS GET STATE AMNESTY
The government offered on September 27, 2018 a three-month amnesty to youths in Northeastern who have joined al Shabaab to surrender.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2018MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED FOR 3 MEXICAN BROTHERS
The deaths sentences against three Mexican brothers - Jose Regino, Simon and Luis Alfonso Gonzalez Villarreal - convicted of drug trafficking in Malaysia have been commuted to prison terms, a lawyer said on September 21, 2018.
JULY 24, 2018United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: INDIAN WALKS FREE 12 YEARS AFTER GETTING DEATH SENTENCE
An Indian man, who was on death row for murdering a compatriot over bootlegging will travel back to his home country a free man, later today
- JULY 20, 2018OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Governor John Kasich granted a reprieve to Cleveland Jackson
USA - Ohio. Governor John Kasich granted a reprieve to Cleveland Jackson
JULY 20, 2018DEATH PENALTYOHIO (USA): GOV JOHN KASICH COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE FOR RAYMOND TIBBETTS
Governor John Kasich (66, White, Republican) has commuted the death sentence imposed on Raymond Tibbetts (60, White) to life without parole, in response to a juror's concerns about the unfairness of the sentencing proceedings in the case.
JULY 3, 2018IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN REDUCES DEATH PENALTY, LIFE SENTENCE AGAINST 1700 DRUG CONVICTS
Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor general, announced that 1,700 sentences of narcotic-related cases have been commuted from capital punishment and life sentence to less severe forms of punishment.
- JUNE 28, 2018NevadaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Nevada. Judge Michael Villani vacated the death penalty for Frederick Mendoza
USA - Nevada. Judge Michael Villani vacated the death penalty for Frederick Mendoza
- JUNE 22, 2018OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. The Ohio Adult Parole Authority denied clemency to Raymond Tibbetts.
USA - Ohio. The Ohio Adult Parole Authority denied clemency to Raymond Tibbetts.
- JUNE 20, 2018ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - Connecticut. Lazale Ashby resentenced to life in prison without parole
USA - Connecticut. Lazale Ashby resentenced to life in prison without parole
- JUNE 16, 2018CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - California. Kim Kardashian supports Kevin Cooper, a 'wrongly-convicted' death row inmate.
USA - California. Kim Kardashian supports Kevin Cooper, a 'wrongly-convicted' death row inmate.
JUNE 15, 2018IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN - BILL FOR COLLECTIVE PARDONS
OF POLITICAL PRISONERS
- JUNE 14, 2018OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Personalities Urge Clemency to Raymond Tibbetts.
USA - Ohio. Personalities Urge Clemency to Raymond Tibbetts.
JUNE 6, 2018TexasDEATH PENALTYUSA - Texas. The Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the death sentence of Bobby Moore
USA - Texas. The Court of Criminal Appeals has upheld the death sentence of Bobby Moore
MAY 30, 2018IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: PRESIDENT KOVIND REJECTS FIRST MERCY PLEA PLACED BEFORE HIM
President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the first ever mercy plea placed before him
- MAY 24, 2018ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
ZAMBIA: PRESIDENT PARDONS 464 PRISONERS AS PART OF AFRICA FREEDOM DAY COMMEMORATION
Zambian President Edgar Lungu pardoned 464 prisoners as part of the commemoration of this year's Africa Freedom Day which falls on May 25.