Clemency will be granted to around 16,000 – 17,000 prisoners on the occasion of the 70 th National Day (September 2), making it the biggest-ever, said Head of the General Department for Enforcement of Criminal Sentences and Judicial Assistance Nguyen Ngoc Bang on July 20.

The clemency is designed to encourage prisoners to refresh themselves so that they can return to society sooner than scheduled, Bang stated.

He added that foreign prisoners, who have good behaviour and rehabilitation, will be considered to be set free in accordance with Vietnam’s laws.

The amnesty list is scheduled to be submitted to the State President for consideration and decision in late August.

On the day, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc chaired a meeting of the Central Advisory Council on Amnesty, during which he emphasised the need to grant clemency for right inmates in order to ensure the sense of justice and objectiveness.

He also asked press agencies and localities to strengthen information dissemination to eliminate stigma against released prisoners and help them to stabilise their lives and prevent delinquency.

VNA