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 9, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: GUJARAT HC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY FOR 11 CONVICTS TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
The Gujarat high court commuted the death penalty awarded by a lower court to 11 convicts in the 2002 Godhra train burning case to life imprisonment.
OCTOBER 3, 2017NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: EIGHT DEATH-ROW INMATES COMMUTED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN ANAMBRA
Anambra state governor, Chief Willie Obiano has commuted eight death row inmates to life imprisonment and granted prerogative of mercy to others who are serving various jail terms.
- SEPTEMBER 27, 2017IraqDEATH PENALTY
HANGING OF 42 PRISONERS IN IRAQ RAISES CONCERN OVER FLAWED DUE PROCESS – UN RIGHTS CHIEF
The mass hanging of 42 prisoners on September 24 in a prison in southern Iraq raises massive concerns over the country's use of the death penalty, the UN human rights chief said.
- AUGUST 25, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Gov. Hutchinson intends to commute Jason Farrell McGehee's sentence from death to life without parole
USA - Arkansas. Gov. Hutchinson intends to commute Jason Farrell McGehee's sentence from death to life without parole
- AUGUST 19, 2017MoroccoDEATH PENALTY
MOROCCAN KING PARDONS 415 CONVICTS ON EVE OF REVOLUTION ANNIVERSARY
The Morocco's King Mohammed VI has granted pardon to 415 convicts found guilty of terrorism, the Ministry of Justice said.
JULY 24, 2017BangladeshDEATH PENALTYBANGLADESH: 2 JMB MEN'S DEATH PENALTY COMMUTED TO LIFE TERM
The High Court commuted the death sentence of two activists of the banned Islamist outfit JMB to life imprisonment in a case filed for their involvement in the 2005 series bomb blasts in Shariatpur.
- JUNE 29, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
DELAY IN EXECUTION OF DEATH ROW CONVICT IS DEHUMANISING: DELHI HC
Delay in the execution of a death row convict after his capital punishment has been confirmed by the highest judicial forum, torments the prisoner, has a dehumanising effect on him and violates the law, the Delhi High Court has said.
JUNE 18, 2017KuwaitDEATH PENALTYKUWAIT: COURT OF CASSATION OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE IN IRAN SPY CELL CASE
Kuwait's highest court overturned the death sentence imposed by a lower tribunal against a man convicted of
JUNE 18, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: PRESIDENT MUKHERJEE REJECTS 2 MORE MERCY PETITIONS; TOTAL 30
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee has rejected two more mercy petitions filed by the convicts awarded death punishment.
- JUNE 5, 2017BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH: HC COMMUTES OISHEE’S DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE TERM
The High Court commuted the death sentence awarded to Oishee Rahman to life term imprisonment for killing her parents in 2013.
- APRIL 20, 2017VirginiaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Virginia. Governor McAuliffe commuted the death sentence of Ivan Teleguz
USA - Virginia. Governor McAuliffe commuted the death sentence of Ivan Teleguz
APRIL 17, 2017PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: LHC UPHOLDS DEATH SENTENCE OF CONVICT
A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) upheld the death sentence of a convict, Moavia, and reduced the capital punishment of another, Abdullah, to life-imprisonment over allegedly killing 94 people and leaving over 150 men and children injured du
APRIL 14, 2017QatarDEATH PENALTYQATAR: FILIPINO CONVICTED OF SPYING SPARED FROM GALLOWS
A Filipino convicted of espionage in Qatar had been spared from the gallows when the death sentence meted to him was commuted to life imprisonment, Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Alan Timbayan stated.
- APRIL 7, 2017TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution for Paul Storey
USA - Texas. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution for Paul Storey
- APRIL 5, 2017ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Parole Board Recommends Clemency for Jason McGehee.
USA - Arkansas. Parole Board Recommends Clemency for Jason McGehee.
APRIL 1, 2017TanzaniaDEATH PENALTYTANZANIA: BUNGE COMMITTEE TOUTS REVIEW OF DEATH PENALTY
The Parliamentary Committee on Constitution and Legal Affairs has advised the government to review death penalty laws to allow death row prisoners who have been in prison for a long time to have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.
- MARCH 27, 2017DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS (USA): MURDER VICTIMS' PARENTS SEEK DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTATION FOR PAUL STOREY
The parents of a man slain have signed an affidavit calling on the state not to execute one of the killers next month. Glenn and Judy Cherry, whose son Jonas Cherry was killed on Oct. 16, 2006 during a robbery, wrote a letter to state and local authoritie
- MARCH 27, 2017TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Texas Murder Victims' Parents Seek Death Sentence Commutation for Paul Storey
USA - Texas. Texas Murder Victims' Parents Seek Death Sentence Commutation for Paul Storey
MARCH 15, 2017MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: BROTHERS EXECUTED AT KAJANG PRISON
Brothers Rames and Suthar Batumalai, who were convicted of murder in 2010, were executed at Kajang Prison early the morning, said Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM).
MARCH 8, 2017SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR PARDONS 259 REBELS
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir pardoned 259 rebels captured in fighting with government forces, including dozens who had been sentenced to death.
- MARCH 1, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA SENTENCED TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE TO DEATH IN 2016 THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR
Sessions courts handed down nearly twice as many death sentences in 2016 as compared to 2015,
FEBRUARY 27, 2017MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: DEATH ROW INMATE SPARED THE NOOSE THANKS TO ROYAL PARDON
A man who was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in 2009 has received a second chance at life after Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah granted him a pardon.
- FEBRUARY 13, 2017TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN COMMUTES SENTENCE FOR 2 PINOYS ON DEATH ROW
Taiwan’s Supreme Court has commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence of two Filipinos convicted of murder, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) said.
- FEBRUARY 11, 2017NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: AMOSUN PARDONS THREE PRISONERS, COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE ON TWO INMATES
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state has ordered the release of three prisoners and commuted the death sentence on two other inmates to life imprisonment.
- FEBRUARY 10, 2017IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF SIX JUVENILE OFFENDERS
Iran has commuted death sentences against six juvenile offenders following UN criticism it was executing
- FEBRUARY 10, 2017North CarolinaDEATH PENALTY
USA - North Carolina. Phillip Antwan Davis was removed from the state's death row roster
USA - North Carolina. Phillip Antwan Davis was removed from the state's death row roster
FEBRUARY 2, 2017Sri LankaDEATH PENALTYSRI LANKA: PRESIDENT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF 60 INMATES TO LIFE
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has decided to commute the sentences of 60 prisoners in death row to life sentences prisoners on account of the 69th Independence Day on February 04.
JANUARY 17, 2017DEATH PENALTYUSA: PRESIDENT OBAMA COMMUTES TWO DEATH SENTENCES
President Barack Obama commuted the death sentences of Abelardo Arboleda Ortiz, a federal death row prisoner, and Dwight Loving, a military death row prisoner.
- JANUARY 17, 2017United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - President Obama Commutes Death Sentences of Abelardo Arboleda Ortiz and Dwight Loving
USA - President Obama Commutes Death Sentences of Abelardo Arboleda Ortiz and Dwight Loving
- JANUARY 15, 2017IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT CONVERTS 4 TRIBALS’ DEATH SENTENCES TO LIFE TERMS
President Pranab Mukherjee has disposed of all mercy petitions of death penalties pending before him till