Deputy Head of the Presidential Office, Pham Thanh Ha, stated that amnesty is a legal institution regulated by the Constitution and institutionalized by the Amnesty Law.

Since 2009, the Vietnamese government has conducted nine amnesty rounds on significant national events and holidays, granting pardons to over 92,000 prisoners who demonstrated good behavior, labor, and study efforts, allowing them to reintegrate into society.

Ha emphasized that the results of the amnesty rounds have met political, legal, professional, and foreign affairs requirements, gaining approval from the domestic population and high praise from international public opinion.

The amnesty policy continues to affirm the consistent policy of the Communist Party and the State of Vietnam in promoting and protecting human rights fairly and equally for all citizens, including those serving prison sentences.

"Tens of thousands of people have enjoyed the joy of clemency, reuniting early with their families, ready to rebuild their lives. Most of those pardoned have returned to their places of residence, stabilized their lives, and engaged in honest work, with a very low rate of recidivism. This is the most significant humanitarian hallmark of the amnesty policy, reflecting the prioritization of human rights protection and promotion in every policy of the Communist Party and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," Ha shared.

Ha announced that on July 30, President To Lam signed the decision on the 2024 amnesty on the occasion of the 79th National Day (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2024) and the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital (October 10, 1954 - October 10, 2024).

According to the 2024 amnesty decision, individuals serving fixed-term prison sentences and those whose life sentences have been reduced to fixed terms must meet seven conditions to be considered for a pardon. One condition requires those convicted of corruption to fulfill their obligations to return assets, compensate for damages, and complete other civil obligations.

During the press conference, journalists inquired whether the number of prisoners convicted of corruption eligible for this year's amnesty could be estimated.

Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung, Deputy Minister of Public Security, stated that the amnesty decision was just announced, and the next step involves reviewing to identify prisoners eligible under the President's amnesty decision. Therefore, it is currently impossible to determine how many prisoners convicted of corruption will be pardoned. The exact number will be announced in the future.

The media also questioned whether former Minister of Science and Technology and former Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, Chu Ngoc Anh (sentenced to three years in prison in the Viet A case), would be considered for this year's amnesty.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quoc Hung stated that Chu Ngoc Anh is currently serving his sentence at a Ministry of Public Security detention center and "is treated equally like all other inmates." If he meets the conditions, he will be considered for amnesty.

Regarding foreign inmates, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc mentioned that approximately 643 foreign nationals are currently serving sentences in Vietnamese detention facilities.

After reviewing their records, Vietnam's authorities will specifically announce which foreign nationals will be pardoned in this round.

Ngoc added that in 2022, 16 foreign nationals received amnesty, while in 2021, 21 foreign nationals were pardoned.

Tran Thuong