Over 3,700 Vietnamese, foreign inmates granted amnesty

The decision, announced on Monday, took effect starting Tuesday.

Among those granted amnesty, 403 had been convicted of crimes related to the economy, corruption and power abuse, according to Major General Nguyen Ngoc Lam, Deputy Minister of Public Security. In addition, 64 inmates were convicted of murder, 205 of drug-related crimes, 91 of rape, and 156 of robbery.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet revealed that 20 foreign inmates were also included in the amnesty, including citizens from China, Laos, Cambodia and the United States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will issue diplomatic notes to the relevant diplomatic agencies to coordinate the necessary procedures.

Pham Thanh Ha, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, emphasized that there is no distinction or restriction in the amnesty process between Vietnamese and foreign inmates.

Since 2009, Vietnam has granted amnesty to over 92,000 inmates, with the most recent instance occurring on National Day (Sept. 2) in 2022, when 2,434 prisoners were granted amnesty.

Eligibility for amnesty includes those demonstrating good conduct and having served at least half of their sentence or a minimum of 15 years. Additionally, those suffering from severe illnesses or disabilities, those aged 70 or older, and pregnant women or mothers raising children under three years old may be considered for early release after serving at least one-third of their sentence or a minimum of 13 years.

However, individuals convicted of treason, espionage, terrorism, and certain other crimes are not eligible for amnesty.