Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt speaks at the press conference announcing the 2025 Amnesty Decision by the President of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đỗ Hùng Việt has affirmed that the criteria for granting amnesty are the same for both Vietnamese and foreign prisoners.

"The core principle of the amnesty review and decision-making process is non-discrimination between prisoners of Vietnamese nationality and those of foreign nationality," Việt said at a press conference in Hà Nội on Tuesday, announcing the 2025 Amnesty Decision by the President of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam.

The event was organised by the Office of the President in coordination with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme People’s Court and other relevant agencies. Deputy Head of the Office of the President Phạm Thanh Hà presided over the briefing.

Amnesty is a legal institution enshrined in Article 88 of Việt Nam’s Constitution and codified in the 2018 Amnesty Law.

Since 2009, Việt Nam has conducted ten rounds of amnesty on significant national occasions, granting clemency to nearly 100,000 inmates who demonstrated good conduct in rehabilitation, labour and education, allowing them to reintegrate into society, according to Hà.

Through the President’s Amnesty Decisions, tens of thousands of individuals have been pardoned, reunited with their families and given a second chance to rebuild their lives. The majority have reintegrated into their communities, stabilised their lives and pursued lawful employment, with a remarkably low recidivism rate.

"This is the most profound humanitarian aspect of the amnesty policy, reflecting the Party and State’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding and promoting human rights in all policies and initiatives," Hà noted.

The year 2025 marks several significant national milestones, including the Party Congresses at various levels leading up to the 14th National Congress, the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and the 80th anniversary of Việt Nam’s National Day.

At the press conference, Hà announced Decision No 266 on the 2025 amnesty, granting early release to eligible inmates serving fixed-term or life sentences on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 2025). The decision was signed by President Lương Cường on Monday.

The period of sentence served for amnesty consideration is calculated up to April 30, 2025. Eligible individuals include those serving fixed-term imprisonment, life-sentenced inmates whose sentences have been commuted and those granted temporary suspension of their sentences.

To qualify for amnesty, inmates must demonstrate good conduct, a positive attitude toward rehabilitation and be classified as having "fair" or "good" compliance with prison regulations. They must have served at least one-third of their fixed-term sentence or at least 14 years if originally sentenced to life but later commuted. Additionally, they must have fulfilled financial penalties, court fees and civil obligations such as restitution and compensation in corruption-related cases.

The President’s decision also specifies 16 categories of individuals ineligible for amnesty, including those convicted of treason, attempts to overthrow the government, espionage, territorial security violations, riots, terrorism against the state, and those with multiple prior convictions. Individuals previously granted amnesty, those with two or more criminal records or those facing additional criminal charges are also excluded.

For special-case amnesty, the Government, in coordination with the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuracy and relevant agencies, will compile and review candidate dossiers before submitting them to the President for final approval.

As of January 31, 2025, there were 197,158 inmates serving sentences in detention facilities nationwide. Based on the President’s Decision, the Central Advisory Council on Amnesty has tasked relevant agencies with reviewing cases to ensure that only those meeting the criteria are reported for final consideration and approval. — VNS