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 20, 2010IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SENTENCE FOR RAPE-MURDER COMMUTED
in a landmark judgment, the Gauhati High Court in India commuted the death sentence
- MAY 20, 2010OklahomaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Oklahoma. (Europe). European Union Notes Decision to Commute Death Sentence of Mr. Richard Smith
USA - Oklahoma. (Europe). European Union Notes Decision to Commute Death Sentence of Mr. Richard Smith
- MAY 19, 2010OklahomaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Oklahoma. Gov. Brad Henry has granted clemency to Richard Tandy Smith
USA - Oklahoma. Gov. Brad Henry has granted clemency to Richard Tandy Smith
- MAY 18, 2010OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. In a rare gesture, the Ohio Parole Board recommended clemency for Richard Nields
USA - Ohio. In a rare gesture, the Ohio Parole Board recommended clemency for Richard Nields
- MARCH 22, 2010BelarusDEATH PENALTY
BELARUS CARRIES OUT TWO EXECUTIONS
two men were executed in Belarus at the end of last week, Amnesty International reported.
- MARCH 17, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: UMI'S DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED TO LIFE TERM
China commuted the death sentence of Malaysian national Umi Azlim Mohamad Lazim, 26, to life imprisonment.
- FEBRUARY 21, 2010IranDEATH PENALTY
KUWAIT: DEATH TO LIFE FOR IRANIAN
the Kuwaiti Court of Appeals commuted the death sentence of an Iranian man...
FEBRUARY 10, 2010IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION FACTOR FOR COMMUTING DEATH PENALTY
long incarceration and socio-economic factors leading to crime are relevant and mitigating
- FEBRUARY 9, 2010IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: KERALA HC COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE TERM
in India, the Kerala High Court commuted the death sentence awarded to Nawaz to a life term.
- FEBRUARY 9, 2010ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA ISSUES GUIDELINES TO LIMIT DEATH PENALTY USE
China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) said it had issued guidelines for courts nationwide to handle criminal cases with a policy of "justice tempered with mercy," stressing that death penalty use be limited.
- JANUARY 26, 2010MissouriDEATH PENALTY
USA - Missouri. The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the death penalty for Andrew A. Lyons
USA - Missouri. The Missouri Supreme Court overturned the death penalty for Andrew A. Lyons
- JANUARY 20, 2010ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Judge David Burnett has overturned the death penalty of Robert Robbins and sentenced him to life in prison
USA - Arkansas. Judge David Burnett has overturned the death penalty of Robert Robbins and sentenced him to life in prison
- JANUARY 19, 2010BangladeshDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESH PRESIDENT REJECTS MUJIB KILLERS' MERCY PETITIONS
Bangladesh President Zillur Rahman rejected the mercy petitions of three of the five former army officers sentenced to death for killing Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
- JANUARY 8, 2010MissouriDEATH PENALTY
USA - Missouri. The death sentence of Travis E. Glass has been commuted to life in prison without parole.
USA - Missouri. The death sentence of Travis E. Glass has been commuted to life in prison without parole.
- JANUARY 8, 2010IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE TERM
Pappu Paswan had his death sentence commuted to life imprisonment by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
- JANUARY 8, 2010MissouriDEATH PENALTY
USA - Missouri. The death sentence of Travis E. Glass has been commuted to life in prison without parole.
USA - Missouri. The death sentence of Travis E. Glass has been commuted to life in prison without parole.
- JANUARY 1, 2010KenyaDEATH PENALTY
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.
- JANUARY 1, 2010MalawiDEATH PENALTY
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must be applied are murder...
The offences for which capital punishment either can or must be applied are murder...
- JANUARY 1, 2010GhanaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books...
The death penalty has been in Ghana’s statute books since the inception of English common law in the country in 1874.
- JANUARY 1, 2010ZambiaDEATH PENALTY
The Zambia Constitution of 1991, allows the death penalty in Part III
The Zambia Constitution of 1991, allows the death penalty in Part III
- JANUARY 1, 2010BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
- JANUARY 1, 2010St. Kitts & NevisDEATH PENALTY
Murder is the only death-qualifiable offence.
Murder is the only death-qualifiable offence.
- JANUARY 1, 2010BotswanaDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty has been in force in Botswana since the country became independent in 1966.
The death penalty has been in force in Botswana since the country became independent in 1966.
- JANUARY 1, 2010MoldovaDEATH PENALTY
Moldova abolished the death penalty for all crimes in December 1995...
Moldova abolished the death penalty for all crimes in December 1995 but the Constitution retains it for crimes committed during war or with an inevitable threat of war.
- JANUARY 1, 2010GabonDEATH PENALTY
In February, 2010, Gabon completely abolished the death penalty.
In February, 2010, Gabon completely abolished the death penalty.
- DECEMBER 3, 2009DEATH PENALTY
TEXAS EXECUTES LOW-IQ CONVICTED KILLER
A convicted killer was executed in Texas, despite pleas from his lawyers he was too mentally
- NOVEMBER 23, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: THREE MEN SPARED DEATH PENALTY, GET LIFE TERM
in Karachi, Pakistan, a full bench of the Supreme Court commuted the death sentences of three men to life imprisonment.
- NOVEMBER 19, 2009TanzaniaDEATH PENALTY
TANZANIA: 75 DEATH SENTENCES COMMUTED: KIKWETE
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said at a conference in Rome he had commuted 75 death sentences to
- NOVEMBER 19, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Robert Lee Thompson was executed
USA - Texas. Robert Lee Thompson was executed
- NOVEMBER 18, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended that Robert Thompson's execution be commuted to life in prison
USA - Texas. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles recommended that Robert Thompson's execution be commuted to life in prison