3,035 prisoners were pardoned on National Day

Hai Thu• DNUM_DAZAIZCACB 20:48

In addition to 3,026 prisoners serving their sentences, 3 people are having their prison sentences temporarily suspended and 6 cases of having their prison sentences postponed are eligible for amnesty.

The 2021 amnesty decision was signed by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on August 30, effective from September 1. This is the first amnesty implemented under theAmnesty Law 2018.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, the ceremony to announce the 2021 amnesty decision at many locations will take place "simplified" to ensure requirements for Covid-19 prevention and control, avoiding the spread into detention facilities.

People who are granted amnesty and return to their place of residence will be reissued personal documents and Citizen Identification Cards by the police and local authorities where they are received, and will be registered for vocational training, career guidance, and job placement to reintegrate into the community.

A person at the Chu Pah district detention camp, Gia Lai has his temperature taken before voting on May 23, 2021.Photo: Tran Hoa

The 2021 National Day amnesty does not consider amnesty for prisoners convicted of treason, espionage, activities aimed at overthrowing the people's government, disrupting security... Those who have previously been granted amnesty, have two or more criminal records, organized murder, rape and incestuous child rape, robbery with the use of weapons... are also not eligible for this policy.

The most recent amnesty was in 2016 with 4,200 prisoners and nearly 200 people who were postponing or temporarily suspending their prison sentences.

From 2009 to 2016, Vietnam had 6 special amnesty campaigns to release nearly 90,000 prisoners early. Most of the amnestied people returned to their places of residence, stabilized their lives, did honest work, and had a low recidivism rate, according to the Ministry of Public Security.