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 2, 2016NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: GOVERNOR UGWUANYI FREES 2 PRISONERS, COMMUTES FIVE DEATH SENTENCES
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State granted unconditional pardon to two inmates of the Enugu Prison.
- NOVEMBER 29, 2016PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. Manuel Sepulveda is off death row and now serving life in prison without parole
USA - Pennsylvania. Manuel Sepulveda is off death row and now serving life in prison without parole
NOVEMBER 21, 2016VietnamDEATH PENALTYVIETNAM: APPEALS COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE ON AUSSIE DRUG TRAFFICKER
An appeals court in Vietnam commuted the death sentence of a 73-year-old Australian woman convicted of heroin trafficking.
- NOVEMBER 17, 2016KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA URGED TO SET PACE FOR REGION BY ABOLISHING DEATH PENALTY
Kenya has been asked to consider abolishing the death penalty since it is not compatible with the
NOVEMBER 12, 2016NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: OSHIOMHOLE COMMUTES FOUR DEATH ROW INMATES TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Outgoing governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has commuted the sentence of four death row inmates to life imprisonment.
NOVEMBER 3, 2016ZimbabweDEATH PENALTYZIMBABWE: 10 DEATH ROW INMATES FREED
Zimbabwe last week pardoned 10 inmates who were on the death row after they requested for Presidential clemency while the remaining 80 will also survive the gallows if Government resolves to completely abolish capital punishment for all crimes, Vice Presi
OCTOBER 31, 2016PakistanDEATH PENALTYPAKISTAN: SC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF TWO MURDERERS TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Supreme Court (SC) converted the death penalty of two murder convicts to life imprisonment.
OCTOBER 27, 2016SudanDEATH PENALTYSUDAN: PRESIDENTIAL 'GOODWILL AMNESTY' FOR CONVICTED SPLM-N REBELS
Sudan's President Omar Al Bashir has issued a decision to drop the remaining sentences against the
- OCTOBER 24, 2016KenyaDEATH PENALTY
KENYA: PRESIDENT KENYATTA SPARES 2,747 DEATH ROW CONVICTS FROM HANGMAN’S NOOSE
President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed commutation documents commuting all death sentences into life jail terms.
OCTOBER 11, 2016IranDEATH PENALTYIRAN: 22-YEAR-OLD IRANIAN KURDISH WOMAN FACES IMMINENT EXECUTION AFTER GROSSLY UNFAIR TRIAL
The Iranian authorities must urgently halt their plans to execute Zeinab Sekaanvand, a 22-year-old Iranian-
- OCTOBER 6, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Obama reducing 102 inmates' sentences.
USA - Obama reducing 102 inmates' sentences.
OCTOBER 1, 2016NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: EBONYI STATE GOVERNOR COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE ON 14 INMATES, PARDONS 32
Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi ordered that death sentences on 14 prisoners of Ebonyi origin in various prisons be commuted to life imprisonment.
- AUGUST 30, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - President Barack Obama today reduced the prison sentences of 111 Americans convicted of drug crimes
USA - President Barack Obama today reduced the prison sentences of 111 Americans convicted of drug crimes
AUGUST 1, 2016MoroccoDEATH PENALTYMOROCCO: KING MOHAMMED VI PARDONS WOMAN SENTENCED TO DEATH
Khadija Amrir, a 43-year-old woman was released from prison on the Morocco’s public holiday known as
- JULY 30, 2016MoroccoDEATH PENALTY
MOROCCO: KING MOHAMMED VI PARDONS 1,272 CONVICTS ON THRONE DAY
On the the Throne Day, King Mohammed VI granted pardon to 1,272 persons who were convicted by
- JULY 29, 2016IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA: FOUR PRISONERS KILLED IN FIRST EXECUTIONS IN A YEAR
Indonesia has carried out its first executions in more than a year despite a string of legal appeals, diplomatic pressure and international condemnation.
- JULY 26, 2016ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - Connecticut. Joshua Komisarjevsky resentenced to six consecutive life sentences without parole
USA - Connecticut. Joshua Komisarjevsky resentenced to six consecutive life sentences without parole
- JULY 26, 2016PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Pennsylvania. Shonda Walter has been resentenced to life without parole.
USA - Pennsylvania. Shonda Walter has been resentenced to life without parole.
- JULY 22, 2016Congo - KinshasaDEATH PENALTY
Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila commuted the sentences of all death row inmates
Democratic Republic of Congo's President Joseph Kabila commuted the sentences of all death row inmates
JULY 6, 2016LibyaDEATH PENALTYLIBYA: GADDAFI'S SON RELEASED AFTER 2015 DEATH SENTENCE, LAWYER SAYS
Saif al-Islam, second son of Libya’s former ruler Muammar Gaddafi has been released after he was
- JULY 1, 2016ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - -Connecticut. Judge Robert Devlin re-sentenced Russell Peeler Jr. to 2 consecutive life sentences
USA - -Connecticut. Judge Robert Devlin re-sentenced Russell Peeler Jr. to 2 consecutive life sentences
JUNE 28, 2016DEATH PENALTYMEXICO: ‘EL CHAPO’ EXTRADITION TO US HALTED BY JUDGE OVER DEATH PENALTY FEARS
A judge in Mexico temporarily blocked the extradition of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman to the US after his lawyers appealed the move over fears that the infamous drug cartel leader might face the death penalty.
- JUNE 28, 2016MexicoDEATH PENALTY
USA - ‘El Chapo’ extradition to US halted by Mexico judge over death penalty fears.
USA - ‘El Chapo’ extradition to US halted by Mexico judge over death penalty fears.
JUNE 24, 2016IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: PRESIDENT REJECTS TWO DEATH-SENTENCE PLEAS FROM CONVICTS
Indian President Pranab Mukherjee has reportedly rejected mercy pleas from two death-row convicts,
JUNE 22, 2016NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING IN KANO
Justice Kabiru Auta of a Kano High Court sentenced the killer of a Kano business tycoon, philanthropist, and Yoruba leader, Ganiyu Akanbi Bello, to death by hanging.
- JUNE 15, 2016TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Court Changes Texas Jose Noey Martinez's Sentence to Life.
USA - Texas. Court Changes Texas Jose Noey Martinez's Sentence to Life.
- JUNE 15, 2016ConnecticutDEATH PENALTY
USA - Connecticut. Steven Hayes is the 1st Death-Row Inmate Resentenced to Life
USA - Connecticut. Steven Hayes is the 1st Death-Row Inmate Resentenced to Life
- JUNE 9, 2016NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: OSUN STATE GOVERNOR PARDONS 17 PRISONERS, COMMUTES FOUR DEATH SENTENCES
Seventeen prisoners serving various jail terms in Ogun State were granted state pardon by the state
- JUNE 3, 2016United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - President Barack Obama issued 42 commutations, adding to 348, a historic total.
USA - President Barack Obama issued 42 commutations, adding to 348, a historic total.
- MAY 26, 2016DEATH PENALTY
CONNECTICUT (USA): STATE SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS ABOLISHMENT OF DEATH PENALTY, INCLUDING FOR DEATH-ROW INMATES
The Connecticut Supreme Court has upheld 5-2 its 2015 decision to abolish the state’s death penalty, including for the 11 men on Connecticut’s death row.