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 17, 2006JapanDEATH PENALTY
JAPAN. CONVICTED QUADRUPLE KILLER DEALT DEATH PENALTY
Shojiro Nishimoto, a jobless man under indictment on charges of murdering four people in Nagano and Aichi prefectures in 2004, was handed the death penalty.
- MAY 11, 2006MalaysiaDEATH PENALTY
SINGAPORE. 34,000 PEOPLE SIGN PETITION AGAINST TOOK LENG HOW'S DEATH SENTENCE
the fate of convicted murderer Took Leng How will be known within three months, as a last-ditch effort to spare him from the gallows reaches the President. Some 34,000 people have signed a petition against Took's death sentence, due to be submitted to Pre
- MAY 10, 2006PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
THE PHILIPPINES. ARROYO COMMUTES SENTENCE OF 79 CONVICTS
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence of 79 convicts
- MAY 9, 2006PennsylvaniaDEATH PENALTY
Robert Peter Zook Jr. deserves the death penalty for murdering two persons in July 1985, prosecutors and the victims' families argue. But he's not going to get it.
Robert Peter Zook Jr. deserves the death penalty for murdering two persons in July 1985...
- MAY 8, 2006EgyptDEATH PENALTY
EGYPT. FEAR OF IMMINENT EXECUTION FOLLOWING UNFAIR TRIAL
Brothers Ezzat and Hamdi Ali Hanafi have been sentenced to death after an unfair trial and could be executed at any time, Amnesty International said.
- APRIL 19, 2006PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. TWO DEATH SENTENCES FOR MURDER COMMUTED
the Lahore High Court, Pakistan, commuted to life imprisonment the death sentences given to two men for murder and reduced the sentence of two women convicted in the same trial.
- APRIL 16, 2006PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
THE PHILIPPINES. PRESIDENT COMMUTES ALL DEATH SENTENCES
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment in an Easter gesture slammed by critics as an abuse of power. "I wish to announce that we are changing our policy on those who have been imposed the death pena
- APRIL 13, 2006KuwaitDEATH PENALTY
KUWAIT. COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE FOR PAKISTANI ACCUSED OF HEROIN SMUGGLING
Kuwait’s Court of Appeals commuted into life imprisonment the death sentence issued against Fadhl H., a Pakistani man charged with smuggling heroin into the country.
- APRIL 11, 2006IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. 2002 BALI BOMBER RELATIVES WAIVE DEATH PENALTY APPEAL
the family of Imam Samudra, a man convicted for the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, said they will not pursue clemency on his behalf, allowing the Indonesian government to carry out his death sentence, according to a spokesman for the attorney general.
- MARCH 29, 2006IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. DEATH ROW CHRISTIANS SEEK PRESIDENTIAL PARDON
three Indonesian Christians facing execution by firing squad due within days had submitted a second request for a presidential pardon.
- MARCH 27, 2006IndonesiaDEATH PENALTY
Indonesia. Second clemency request for Catholics sentenced to death over Poso violence
the families of three Indonesian Catholics—Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus “Domi” da Silva and Marinus Riwu—sentenced to death for their alleged role in the 2000 Poso violence wrote to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, appealing for clemency. Throug
- MARCH 22, 2006TexasDEATH PENALTY
TEXAS. INMATE EXECUTED FOR DEATH OF TODDLER
Robert Salazar Jr., a man convicted of beating his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter to death because she was crying, was executed by lethal injection.
- MARCH 14, 2006AzerbaijanDEATH PENALTY
AZERBAIJAN. RIGHTS ACTIVIST SAYS "INFORMAL MORATORIUM" ON DEATH PENALTY
it was reported that a death row inmate in Azerbaijan had appealed to the presidential administration to be executed by shooting. He had been sentenced to death before the abolition of capital punishment but his sentence had not been de jure commuted to l
- MARCH 13, 2006PakistanDEATH PENALTY
PAKISTAN. HIGH COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF TWO MEN, MAINTAINS PENALTY FOR A THIRD IN TRIPLE MURDER CASE
the Sindh High Court in Karachi, Pakistan, commuted the sentence of two men facing death for triple murder but maintained the death sentence for a third accomplice.
- FEBRUARY 18, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
VIETNAM. PRESIDENT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCES OF TWO AUSTRALIANS
Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong commuted the death sentences imposed on two convicted Australian heroin traffickers to life imprisonment, Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
- FEBRUARY 17, 2006CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declined to grant clemency to a rapist-murderer scheduled to die Tuesday
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declined to grant clemency to a rapist-murderer scheduled to die Tuesday at San Quentin State Prison for murdering a girl in 1981.
- FEBRUARY 15, 2006PhilippinesDEATH PENALTY
THE PHILIPPINES. PRESIDENT COMMUTES 280 DEATH SENTENCES
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo ordered prison authorities to commute the sentences of 280 people on death row to life imprisonment.
- FEBRUARY 15, 2006AustraliaDEATH PENALTY
AUSTRALIA. DOWNER CONFIDENT OF SAVING BALI NINE
Australia remains confident Indonesia will grant clemency to two members of the Bali Nine sentenced to death, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.
- FEBRUARY 9, 2006BrazilDEATH PENALTY
INDONESIA. NO MERCY FOR BRAZILIAN DEATH ROW DRUG CONVICT IN INDONESIA
Indonesia's president rejected an appeal for clemency from Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, a Brazilian man sentenced to death for smuggling cocaine into the country.
- FEBRUARY 7, 2006CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
six Jurors Urge Sparing Killer's Life----Echoing the trial judge and citing new evidence...
six Jurors Urge Sparing Killer's Life----Echoing the trial judge and citing new evidence, they ask the governor to halt the execution of Michael Morales for a girl's murder in 1981.
- FEBRUARY 6, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. KERALA HIGH COURT COMMUTES SENTENCE OF DEATH INTO LIFE
the Kerala High Court, India, commuted into life the death sentence of Vadasseril Raju handed down by the Thalassery Sessions Court for rape and murder.
- JANUARY 30, 2006AfghanistanDEATH PENALTY
AFGHANISTAN. SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS DEATH PENALTY FOR KILLING OF JOURNALISTS
Afghanistan's Supreme Court upheld the death sentence handed to Mohammad Reza for his involvement in the death of four journalists in 2001.
- JANUARY 27, 2006IndianaDEATH PENALTY
INDIANA, USA. MAN EXECUTED FOR 1983 DOUBLE MURDER
the state of Indiana executed a former drug dealer convicted of killing a young couple in 1983. Marvin Bieghler, 58, died at 2:17 a.m. EST (0717 GMT) following an injection of lethal chemicals at the Indiana State Prison, officials said.
- JANUARY 25, 2006IndiaDEATH PENALTY
INDIA. ORISSA HIGH COURT COMMUTES DEATH SENTENCE IN PURI MURDER CASE
the Orissa High Court, India, commuted into life imprisonment the death sentence handed down to Kiran Bedi
- JANUARY 15, 2006CaliforniaDEATH PENALTY
CALIFORNIA, USA. OLD, BLIND, CRIPPLED - AND FIT FOR EXECUTION, SCHWARZENEGGER REJECTS CLEMENCY PLEA
California's Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has denied clemency to the oldest prisoner on California's Death Row, saying a murderer's life should not be spared because he is old and ill.
- JANUARY 7, 2006ChinaDEATH PENALTY
CHINA. SUPREME COURT COMMUTED 11.2 PERCENT OF 2005 DEATH SENTENCES
the Chinese Supreme People's Court commuted 11.2 percent of all death sentences submitted to it for review in 2005, state media said.
- JANUARY 1, 2006BelarusDEATH PENALTY
Article 24 of the constitution reads that
Article 24 of the constitution reads that "the death penalty...
- JANUARY 1, 2006BotswanaDEATH 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, 2006KenyaDEATH PENALTY
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.
Murder, treason and armed robbery are capital crimes.
- JANUARY 1, 2006GhanaDEATH 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.