'Review the list of special pardons carefully and thoroughly for each case'
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh noted that during the process of reviewing the amnesty list, the authorities focused on checking, reviewing, and evaluating publicly and transparently; carefully and thoroughly considering each case, closely following the conditions and standards according to regulations.
On the afternoon of September 18, the 2024 Amnesty Advisory Council met to review the list of proposals for the President to grant amnesty early release to prisoners eligible for amnesty on the occasion of the 79th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital.
Speaking at the meeting, Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh emphasized that humanity and leniency towards criminals are fine traditions of our nation.
Our country's law shows strictness towards criminals, resolutely punishing masterminds, ringleaders, stubborn opponents, and dangerous recidivists, but is always lenient and forgiving towards criminals who are sincere, make meritorious deeds to atone for their crimes, repent, and create all favorable conditions for them to correct their mistakes, become honest people, and be useful to society.
The Deputy Prime Minister requested that competent agencies focus on inspecting, reviewing, and evaluating publicly and transparently; carefully and cautiously considering each specific case, closely following the conditions and standards prescribed by the Amnesty Law and the President's Decision.
Check and evaluate thousands of qualified applications
Major General Tran Van Thien, Director of the Department of Police for Management of Prisons, Compulsory Education Facilities, and Reformatory Schools (Ministry of Public Security), said that in the past, thousands of eligible files for special pardons have been inspected and evaluated at prisons, temporary detention camps, criminal enforcement agencies of district-level police under the Ministry of Public Security, and prisons managed by the Ministry of National Defense.
It can be affirmed that the consideration of amnesty proposals for eligible people is conducted according to a very strict, public, democratic, objective, fair, transparent process, with the right subjects and conditions according to regulations.
Amnesty proposals are examined and assessed at many levels with the participation of many agencies, departments and functional sectors, and especially the supervision of social organizations and people.
Major General Tran Van Thien said that in order for the 2024 amnesty work to achieve good results, all levels, sectors and localities need to pay attention to the work of reintegrating the community for amnestied people returning to their localities; focus on promoting propaganda, raising awareness and responsibility to join hands to help amnestied people eliminate their guilt.
He also noted that it is important to avoid discrimination against pardoned people, and to do a good job of monitoring, educating, helping, providing vocational training and creating jobs for pardoned people to return to the community to do honest work, limiting re-offending and violating the law.
For those in particularly difficult circumstances, it is necessary to mobilize sectors, unions, and socio-economic organizations to help them borrow capital to do business, stabilize their lives, and integrate into the community.
After today's meeting, the Amnesty Advisory Council will compile and submit to the President a list of prisoners eligible for amnesty for consideration and decision.
From 2009 to present, the President has signed 9 amnesty decisions for more than 92,000 prisoners who have had good reform, work, and study processes to return to their families and communities to become useful citizens for society.
Most of the amnestied people who returned quickly reintegrated into the community, had stable lives and did honest work. Many of them became successful businessmen or actively participated in local social activities. The rate of amnestied people reoffending is very low.
Specifically, in the most recent amnesty in 2022, up to now, only 2 out of 2,438 people granted amnesty have re-offended, accounting for 0.08%.
The results of previous amnesty campaigns have been approved by the people in the country and highly appreciated by international public opinion, which continues to affirm the consistent policies of the Party, State and law in promoting and protecting human rights in a fair and equal manner.
