Vietnam to release nearly 10,000 prisoners under national amnesty – JURIST

Vietnam’s General Secretary and President Tô Lâm announced Saturday that 9,950 prisoners, including foreign nationals and individuals convicted in high-profile corruption cases, will be released under a national amnesty program effective June 1.

Vietnam announced the amnesty in connection with preparations for the ruling Communist Party’s 14th National Congress and the country’s 2026 parliamentary elections. Vietnam has frequently granted amnesties to mark major national events. A similar amnesty in 2025 commemorated the 50th anniversary of the country’s reunification. Those released this year include 63 foreign nationals, 56 men and seven women, as well as 133 individuals convicted in high-profile corruption cases.

Speaking at a press conference announcing the amnesty, Deputy Head of the Office of the President Can Dinh Tai highlighted the measure’s political, legal, and humanitarian significance. Tai said the amnesty reflects Vietnam’s commitment to building a socialist rule-of-law state, stating that “no one is left behind if they are truly determined to correct their mistakes and strive to improve themselves through their own will.”

Under Vietnamese law, amnesties allow eligible prisoners who have demonstrated rehabilitation and good conduct to receive early release. According to Vietnam’s state broadcaster, Voice of Vietnam, more than 118,000 prisoners have been granted amnesty through 12 rounds of releases since 2009. The broadcaster reported that a record 22,089 people received amnesty in 2025 and that only 13 subsequently reoffended, which authorities cited as evidence of a low recidivism rate among beneficiaries of the program.

According to World Prison Brief, Vietnam’s prison population stood at 133,986 as of June 2022, representing an incarceration rate of 135 people per 100,000 residents. The United States has a prison population of 542 people per 100,00, Thailand has a prison population rate of 428 per 100,000, and Singapore has a prison population rate of 178 per 100,000.

The latest amnesty follows broader criminal justice reforms adopted in Vietnam over the past year. In June 2025, Vietnam’s National Assembly voted to abolish the death penalty for eight criminal offenses, including embezzlement, bribery, espionage, drug trafficking, sabotage, and acts aimed at overthrowing the government. The reform reduced the number of offenses punishable by death from 18 to 10. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights commended the move while urging authorities to continue toward the full abolition of capital punishment.