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 5, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA: CENTRE SENDS FINAL OPINION TO PRESIDENT ON 27 MERCY PETITIONS
the Indian government sent its final opinion to the President on 27 of the 29 mercy petitions of death row convicts.
- MAY 4, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
TAIWAN: COURT COMMUTES FILIPINA’S DEATH SENTENCE TO LIFE TERM
the Taiwan High Court commuted the death sentence of handed down to Filipino citizen Cecilia Alcaraz, also known as Nemencia Armia, a 40 year, to life imprisonment.
- APRIL 27, 2009Sri LankaDEATH PENALTY
QATAR: DEATH PENALTY IN SRI LANKAN MURDER CASE COMMUTED
a Doha appeals court in Qatar commuted the death penalty given to four Sri Lankans for their involvement in a compatriot’s murder to ten-year imprisonment.
- APRIL 23, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
MALAYSIA APPEALS TO CHINA FOR CLEMENCY
the Malaysian Foreign Ministry sent a clemency appeal for Malaysian Ong Kim Fatt who is on death row in China for drug trafficking, said its Deputy Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong.
- APRIL 13, 2009ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA: MOVE TO SEEK CLEMENCY FOR MALAYSIAN HELD IN DEATH ROW
clemency is being sought for Ong Kim Fatt, a Malaysian who is facing a firing squad in China for drug smuggling.
MARCH 31, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTYNIGERIA: FG COMMUTED 45 DEATH SENTENCES IN 2008
the Nigerian Minister of the Interior, Godwin Abbe, said the Federal Government
- MARCH 26, 2009PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN: DEATH SENTENCE COMMUTED IN LAHORE
a Division Bench of the Lahore High Court converted the death penalty of a man convicted of murder into life imprisonment and acquitted the other accused for lack of evidence
- MARCH 25, 2009TaiwanDEATH PENALTY
SENTENCE REDUCED FOR A TAIWANESE MAN
a court in Tainan, Taiwan, reduced three death sentences for a man who killed two wives and three sons to a 20-year prison sentence because he had admitted the murders to police.
- MARCH 9, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
IRAN: AMNESTY CAMPAIGN FOR EIGHT WOMEN AT RISK OF BEING STONED TO DEATH
as many as eight woman are at imminent risk of being stoned to death for adultery in Iran, according to reports received by Amnesty International.
- MARCH 4, 2009CanadaDEATH PENALTY
Canada/Usa. Canadian Justice Robert Barnes ordered the Canadian government to seek clemency for Ronald Allen Smith, on death row in Montana
Canada/Usa. Canadian Justice Robert Barnes ordered the Canadian government to seek clemency for Ronald Allen Smith, on death row in Montana
- FEBRUARY 23, 2009IranDEATH PENALTY
Ashraf Kalhori, approximately 40 years old, detained in the Sepidar jail...
Ashraf Kalhori, approximately 40 years old, detained in the Sepidar jail...
- FEBRUARY 20, 2009OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Jeffrey Hill was moved today from death row
USA - Ohio. Jeffrey Hill was moved today from death row
- FEBRUARY 19, 2009VirginiaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Virginia. Edward Nathaniel Bell was executed
USA - Virginia. Edward Nathaniel Bell was executed
- FEBRUARY 17, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
BANGLADESHIS ON DEATH ROW STILL AWAIT APPEALS VERDICT
eight Bangladeshi workers sentenced to death by a lower Saudi Arabian court for allegedly killing an Egyptian worker face an uncertain future while they wait for a verdict by a higher court in Riyadh.
- FEBRUARY 12, 2009OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Gov. Ted Strickland has granted clemency sparing the life of Jeffrey D. Hill.
USA - Ohio. Gov. Ted Strickland has granted clemency sparing the life of Jeffrey D. Hill.
FEBRUARY 2, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTYSAUDI ARABIA: ABU KAB GIVEN 20 YEARS, LASHES
at a court in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the death sentence of Faisal Al-Otaibi, alias Abu Kab, was overturned.
- JANUARY 30, 2009BruneiDEATH PENALTY
BRUNEI SULTAN COMMUTES OFW DEATH PENALTY
the Sultan of Brunei commuted to life the death sentence of a Filipino worker who was convicted of murder.
- JANUARY 26, 2009NebraskaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Nebraska. The State Board of Pardons voted 3-0 today to grant pardons to 5 people in 1985 murder
USA - Nebraska. The State Board of Pardons voted 3-0 today to grant pardons to 5 people in 1985 murder
- JANUARY 21, 2009IndiaDEATH PENALTY
the Indian Supreme Court commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded by the trial court to two brothers for violently killing their brother-in-law
the Indian Supreme Court commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence awarded by the trial court to two brothers for violently killing their brother-in-law
- JANUARY 20, 2009UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDAN PRESIDENT PARDONS EX-MINISTER JAILED FOR 20 YEARS
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni pardoned Chris Rwakisisi, who was serving a death
- JANUARY 20, 2009UgandaDEATH PENALTY
UGANDA MOVES TO END CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Uganda's Supreme Court ruled that death sentences be commuted to life imprisonment after
- JANUARY 15, 2009DEATH PENALTY
1ST US EXECUTION OF 09 IN TEXAS
A man convicted of murdering three people during a night of robberies more than 13 years ago in Fort Worth was put to death in Texas in the nation's first execution of the year. Curtis Moore, 40, was pronounced dead at 6:21 p.m., eight minutes after the
JANUARY 14, 2009ZambiaDEATH PENALTYZAMBIA: DEATH ROW PARDONS FOR 53 PRISONERS
His excellency the President of Zambia, Rupiah Bwezani Banda, pardoned and commuted the
- JANUARY 9, 2009GhanaDEATH PENALTY
GHANA: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL WELCOMES COMMUTATION OF ALL DEATH SENTENCES
Amnesty International welcomed the commutation of all death sentences by the outgoing President John Kufuor and urged the new President of Ghana, John Atta Mills, to seize the moment and take immediate steps to abolish the death penalty in law
- JANUARY 7, 2009KuwaitDEATH PENALTY
the Kuwaiti Court of Appeals commuted the death sentence of Hajjaj Mohammed Adel Al-Saadi, who is also known as the ‘Hawalli Monster’
the Kuwaiti Court of Appeals commuted the death sentence of Hajjaj Mohammed Adel Al-Saadi, who is also known as the ‘Hawalli Monster’
JANUARY 7, 2009GhanaDEATH PENALTYGHANA: KUFUOR COMMUTES ALL DEATH SENTENCES
Ghana’s outgoing President John Kufuor pardoned more than 500 prisoners, the Ghanaian Times reported.
- JANUARY 5, 2009Saudi ArabiaDEATH PENALTY
SAUDI ARABIA: BISHA’S ONE-MAN FIRING SQUAD
Zamil, a 55 year old Saudi Arabian, turned his hobby of hunting birds into a profession of executing criminals by gunfire.
- JANUARY 3, 2009NigeriaDEATH PENALTY
NIGERIA: ELECHI COMMUTES 2 DEATH SENTENCES
in Nigeria, Ebonyi State Governor Chief Martin Elechi commuted the death sentences of two prisoners to life sentences.
- JANUARY 1, 2009GhanaDEATH 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, 2009KenyaDEATH PENALTY
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.