At the press conference to announce the President's decision on amnesty (Photo: VNA)
In announcing Decision 978/QD-CTN, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Office Pham Thanh Ha stressed that the amnesty in 2022 once more reflects the lenient policy of the Vietnamese Party and State, and the humane Vietnamese tradition on encouraging people committing wrongdoings to repent and strive to become useful people.
According to the official, the process of considering and deciding on amnesty for prisoners is conducted in a strict, fair, transparent and democratic manner in accordance with the law.
He noted that what made the 2022 amnesty different from the previous ones are the stricter conditions for amnesty and cases not eligible for amnesty. As a result, fewer prisoners have received amnesty this year.
Ha again affirmed that there is no discrimination against any prisoner during the consideration of amnesty, be they Vietnamese or foreigners.
In reply to reporters’ question, Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc said 16 foreign nationals have received amnesty this year, comprising one Australian, one Canadian, three Americans, four Chinese, one French, two Cambodians, one Nigerian, two Malaysians and one Laotian.
The President has also commuted the death sentence to life imprisonment for 10 prisoners, including two foreigners (one South African and one Laotian).
The commutation is within the jurisdiction of the State President as stipulated in the Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code, the Vice Chairman of the Presidential Office said, noting that those cases are not related to the amnesty under the Law on Amnesty.
