All about Clemency

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Document(s)

The Clemency Process in East and Southeast Asia

on 22 March 2022


2022

NGO report

China

Clemency

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Singapore

Taiwan

Thailand

Viet Nam


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In this report, we summarise the current international position on clemency and the death penalty and compare it to snapshots of the clemency processes in the following Southeast and East Asian countries: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, and China. All references to clemency in this paper are in the context of reprieve from the death penalty.

  • Document type NGO report
  • Countries list China / Indonesia / Japan / Malaysia / Singapore / Taiwan / Thailand / Viet Nam
  • Themes list Clemency
World Coalition Against the Death Penalyt

Article(s)

Bahrain: Joint appeal for commutation and moratorium

By Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, on 13 January 2022

Joint Appeal was published on World Day Against the Death Penlaty on 10 October 2021 and sent to the Bahraini Embassy in France, UK and Switzerland.

2022

Bahrain

Clemency

Moratorium

Flag of Zambia

Article(s)

246 People Removed from Death Rows in Zambia

on 29 January 2021

President Edgar Lungo announced, on 27 January 2021, that 246 death sentences had been commuted into life, a more than welcome decision that has brought the overall number of commutations to over 500 since 2015.

2021

Clemency

Zambia

Flag of Tanzania

Article(s)

256 Death Sentences Commuted Into Life in Tanzania

By Louis Linel, on 11 December 2020

On the occasion of Tanzania’s Independence Day on 9 December, President John Magufuli announced he would commute the death sentences of 256 convicts into life imprisonment. The law say I must hang all 256 of them. [But] [w]ho will be more sinful – those convicted of killing one, two, or three people, or me, who […]

2020

Clemency

United Republic of Tanzania

Article(s)

The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly for a 6th resolution calling for a universal moratorium on executions

By Elise Guillot et Aurélie Plaçais, on 20 December 2016

On 19 December 2016, with 117 States voting in favour of the resolution, the UN member states reasserted their support for a universal moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

2016

Clemency

Moratorium

Article(s)

Pardon Prisoners On Death Row

By Lucy Peace Nantume, on 8 November 2016

At the end of October, the death sentences of more than 2,500 prisoners were commuted by the Kenyan President. The presidential power of mercy was also recently exercised by the Zimbabwean President, where 10 death row prisoners were pardoned.

2016

Clemency

Kenya

Article(s)

Improved access to unique global death penalty library

By Thomas Hubert, on 10 July 2014

The World Coalition has redesigned its online library to help visitors find the documents they need in its multilingual database of resources and campaigning tools on capital punishment.

2014

Clemency

Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment

Death Row Conditions 

Drug Offenses

Fair Trial

Innocence

Intellectual Disability

Juveniles

Legal Representation

Mental Illness

Moratorium

Murder Victims' Families

Public Opinion 

Terrorism

Women

Article(s)

How far is China ready to reduce its use of the death penalty?

By Aurélie Plaçais, on 25 November 2013

The number one executioner in the world recently made national and international commitments to continuing to reform its death penalty, but how far is China really ready to go?

2013

China

Clemency

Drug Offenses

Terrorism

Article(s)

Japan’s death penalty under scrutiny

By The Advocates for Human Rights, on 5 November 2012

2012

Clemency

Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment

Death Row Conditions 

Fair Trial

Intellectual Disability

Japan

Legal Representation

Mental Illness

Article(s)

Japan death penalty at turning point

on 9 February 2012

After one year without executions, the Japanese government looks set to resume state killings. The Center for Prisoners’ Rights, a World Coalition member organisation, has launched an urgent petition to reverse the trend.

2012

Clemency

Japan

Article(s)

Taiwan abolitionists remind their government of its promise

on 13 March 2011

After fresh executions, the Taiwan Alliance to End the Death Penalty has been campaigning to save the lives of five condemned prisoners, recalling the government to its commitments to human rights.

2011

Clemency

Death Row Conditions 

Taiwan

Taiwan

Article(s)

Global mobilisation against Iraq’s high-profile death sentences

on 4 December 2010

Several former associates of Saddam Hussein have been sentenced to death. The Iraqi President, NGOs and international diplomats are now fighting to save their lives.

2010

Clemency

Iraq

Iraq

Article(s)

California’s moratorium holds

on 11 October 2010

A few days out from the World Day Against the Death Penalty, California has decided not to resume executions. A shortage of one of the drugs used for lethal injections gives death row inmates and abolitionists more time to continue the legal battle.

2010

Clemency

Mental Illness

Moratorium

United States

Article(s)

Mongolian president calls for abolition

on 18 January 2010

In a vibrant speech before the parliament on January 14, President Elbegdorj Tsakhia of Mongolia developed all the arguments put forward by the abolitionist community.

2010

Clemency

Mongolia

Moratorium

Article(s)

Fear of mass executions in Iraq

on 4 January 2010

Information obtained by the World Coalition suggests that the Iraqi authorities have been planning the mass execution of nearly 1,000 people. In a column offered to international newspapers, the World Coalition denounces that barbaric plan.

2010

Clemency

Iraq

Iraq

Women

Article(s)

Flurry of educational events on World Day Against the Death Penalty

on 6 November 2009

An abolitionist wave of marches, cultural happenings, petition signings and educational events swept across the world for the 7th World Day on October 10.

2009

Australia

Clemency

Democratic Republic of the Congo

India

Indonesia

Innocence

Public Opinion 

Taiwan

United States

Article(s)

Pardons and commutations in Nigeria

on 29 August 2009

Shortly after Kenya commuted thousands of death sentences, the Nigerian state of Lagos took similar steps and moved closer to abolition.

2009

Clemency

Nigeria

Nigeria

Article(s)

4,000 death sentences commuted in Kenya

on 6 August 2009

Kenya’s president has commuted all death sentences in the country in the wake of legal challenges brought by local and international activists.

2009

Clemency

Kenya

Kenya

Article(s)

200 executions in Texas under Rick Perry

on 8 June 2009

On June 2, 2009, the 200th execution authorized by governor Rick Perry took place in Texas. Protests were scheduled from Huntsville to Paris to denounce the death penalty situation in the southern US state.

2009

Clemency

Innocence

Mental Illness

United States

Article(s)

World Coalition calls on Canada to keep up its efforts against the death penalty

on 10 March 2009

The World Coalition has sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, asking him to “protect its nationals sentenced to death abroad, whether it is in a democratic country or not”.

2009

Canada

Canada

Clemency

United States

Article(s)

Uzbekistan becomes the 70th state party to the UN’s Second Optional Protocol

on 17 December 2008

The former Soviet republic has confirmed its accession to the only international treaty abolishing the death penalty in an irreversible manner.

2008

Clemency

Uzbekistan

Article(s)

World Coalition calls on Liberia to regain its leading abolitionist role

on 2 October 2008

Details have emerged on the recent enactment of legislation asserting the death penalty in Liberia. The World Coalition has offered authorities in Monrovia its support to put Liberia back on the path to abolition.

2008

Clemency

Liberia

Liberia

Article(s)

Interview: Pakistan on its way to a moratorium?

on 25 July 2008

Pakistan’s new government has called on all death sentences in the country to be commuted to life imprisonment. Pakistani lawyer and human rights defender Kamran Arif believes a moratorium is at hand.

2008

Clemency

Moratorium

Pakistan

Pakistan

Article(s)

MEPs call on Guatemala not to reinstate capital punishment

on 25 February 2008

Members of the European Parliament Hélène Flautre and Raimon Obiols have called on Guatemala to maintain its moratorium on the death penalty after the Central American country passed dangerous legislation.

2008

Clemency

Guatemala

Moratorium

Article(s)

Abolition in the US: what role for overseas activists?

on 3 February 2008

As part of its 2008 annual conference, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP) organised a brainstorming session to explore the question: “How can the international community support us in our efforts to abolish the death penalty in the US?”

2008

Clemency

Public Opinion 

United States