AP
On the 70th anniversary of Vientam’s independence from Vietnam, the country granted amnesty to 18,000 inmates.
Vietnam began freeing more than 18,200 prisoners to mark its independence
day celebrations on September 2, but political activists were excluded from the
country’s second biggest-ever amnesty. (Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP/Getty Images)
Deputy chairman of the President’s Office, Giang Son confirmed that 18,539 inmates were granted amnesty. They will be released from prisons beginning today.
Officials said there were 34 foreigners are among those to be released – 16 from China, six from Malaysia, six from Laos and two from Australia.
According to the government, none of those to be pardoned had been convicted of national security crimes. Of those 18,000 being released, 837 inmates were sentenced for corruption-related offenses, 2,188 for murders and 1,449 for drug-related crimes. However, more than 100 dissidents remain in jail for vagely-worded national security laws.
More than 63,000 prisoners had been given early release under presidential amnesties since 2009.
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