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
MAY 1, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE OF M N DAS, A CONDEMNED PRISONER FROM ASSAM
The Supreme Court of India commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded
- APRIL 30, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of murder convict Mahendra Nath Das to life sentence on
the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of murder convict Mahendra Nath Das to life sentence on
APRIL 16, 2013SyriaDEATH PENALTYSYRIA: PRESIDENT’S NEW AMNESTY OFFER WAIVES DEATH PENALTY FOR WAR CRIMES
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has issued a general amnesty for crimes committed in the war-torn
- APRIL 12, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC REJECTS DEVINDER BHULLAR'S PLEA, UPHOLDS DEATH IN 1993 BLAST CASE
The Supreme Court in India rejected the mercy petition of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar
- APRIL 6, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT STAYS EXECUTION OF EIGHT DEATH ROW CONVICTS
The Supreme Court in India stayed the execution of eight death row convicts whose mercy
- APRIL 4, 2013DEATH PENALTY
ALABAMA (USA): LAWMAKERS UNANIMOUSLY VOTE TO PARDON SCOTTSBORO BOYS
The Alabama House of Representatives voted 103-0 in favor of a bill to posthumously
- APRIL 4, 2013AlabamaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Alabama. Lawmakers Unanimously Vote to Pardon Scottsboro Boys.
USA - Alabama. Lawmakers Unanimously Vote to Pardon Scottsboro Boys.
APRIL 3, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: PRESIDENT REJECTS MERCY PETITION, HARYANA RAPE MURDER CONVICT DHARAMPAL TO BE HANGED NEXT WEEK
Dharampal, the Haryana rape convict who was released on parole and went on to murder
- MARCH 26, 2013DEATH PENALTY
DELAWARE (USA): SENATE PASSES BILL TO REPEAL THE DEATH PENALTY
The Senate passed (11-10) a bill to repeal the death penalty for future offenses. The
MARCH 25, 2013United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTYUAE: MAN WHO MURDERED PREGNANT WIFE HAS DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED
A man sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates for murdering his wife had his sentence
MARCH 25, 2013YemenDEATH PENALTYYEMEN: SECURITY COURT OVERTURNS DEATH SENTENCE OF IRANIAN SPIES
A Yemeni security court overturned the death penalty against two Shiite rebels who were
- MARCH 13, 2013United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: BRITON AND SYRIAN ON DEATH ROW ESCAPE EXECUTION AS SENTENCE COMMUTED
Two men sentenced to death for drug dealing had their sentence commuted to four years
- FEBRUARY 24, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict on death row in connection...
Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict on death row in connection...
FEBRUARY 23, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: HC COMMUTES YOUTH’S DEATH PENALTY TO LIFE TERM
The Delhi High Court has commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence given by a trial court
FEBRUARY 14, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: 1,455 DEATH PENALTIES IN 10 YEARS
In India, a total of 1,455 convicts were handed out death sentence in the past 10 years which
FEBRUARY 13, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: PRESIDENT PRANAB REJECTS 7 MERCY PLEAS, A FIRST IN INDIA
Days after the hanging of Afzal Guru, President Pranab Mukherjee has rejected the mercy
FEBRUARY 5, 2013TaiwanDEATH PENALTYTAIWAN: CONVICTED MURDERER GETS DEATH SENTENCE REPRIEVE
The Supreme Court of Taiwan commuted the death sentence of a convicted murderer
- JANUARY 29, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Indian Supreme Court has commuted death penalty of a man
the Indian Supreme Court has commuted death penalty of a man
- JANUARY 28, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SUPREME COURT COMMUTES DEATH TO LIFE TO FATHER WHO RAPED DAUGHTER AND KILLED HER AND HIS WIFE
- JANUARY 23, 2013DEATH PENALTY
ILLINOIS (USA): EX GOVERNOR GEORGE RYAN SET FOR HALFWAY HOUSE
Ex-Illinois governor George Ryan set for halfway house after 6 years in prison. For the last
- JANUARY 23, 2013IllinoisDEATH PENALTY
USA - Illinois. Ex governor George Ryan set for halfway house after 6 years in prison
USA - Illinois. Ex governor George Ryan set for halfway house after 6 years in prison
JANUARY 16, 2013GuyanaDEATH PENALTYGUYANA: SIX DEATH ROW INMATES’ SENTENCE COMMUTED TO LIFE
Six Death Row inmates had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment in Guyana. The
- JANUARY 6, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: SC COMMUTES DEATH PENALTY FOR MAN SAYING ''HIS CONDUCT IN JAIL WAS NOT SHOWN TO BE UNWORTHY OF CONCESSION.''
the Supreme Court in Mumbai, India, commuted a death sentence to life for a 23-year-old man who killed a 65-year-old woman and raped her pregnant 25-year-old granddaughter-in-law in an upscale Pune neighbourhood in September 2007.
- JANUARY 4, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: PRESIDENT REJECTS MERCY PLEA OF MAN WHO KILLED WIFE, DAUGHTER
President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mercy petition of murder convict Saibanna Ningappa
- JANUARY 3, 2013United Arab EmiratesDEATH PENALTY
UAE: MULE’S DEATH PENALTY COMMUTED TO JAIL TERM
The Abu Dhabi court of appeal has commuted the death sentence that was handed
- JANUARY 2, 2013GuyanaDEATH PENALTY
GUYANA: DEATH ROW INMATE GETS SENTENCE COMMUTED
In Guyana, Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes was able to have his client, Oral Hendricks’ sentence
- JANUARY 1, 2013NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
Death sentences are mandatory for murder but also non lethal offences
Death sentences are mandatory for murder but also non lethal offences
- JANUARY 1, 2013EgyptDEATH PENALTY
The Egyptian Constitution makes no reference to the death penalty.
The Egyptian Constitution makes no reference to the death penalty.
- JANUARY 1, 2013JamaicaDEATH PENALTY
On the issue of capital punishment, the Jamaica Constitution states...
On the issue of capital punishment, the Jamaica Constitution states...
JANUARY 1, 2013NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: AMOSUN FREES 20 PRISONERS, COMMUTES 3 DEATH SENTENCES TO LIFE JAIL
In accordance with a clause in the 1999 Nigeria Constitution, which confers state governors with a