Vietnam grants amnesty to 9,950 prisoners, including 63 foreigners

The announcement was made on Saturday at a press briefing jointly held by the Office of the State President, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme People's Court, and other relevant agencies to publicize the 2026 amnesty decision by the Vietnamese state president.

Under the May 26 decision, which will take effect on June 1, a total of 9,950 eligible inmates will be granted early release.

The amnesty is being implemented to mark the success of the 14th National Congress of the Party, the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly, and the elections of people's councils at all levels for the 2026–31 term.

Senior Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen, Deputy Minister of Public Security, said 63 foreign nationals are among those granted amnesty, including 56 men and seven women of various nationalities.

He added that 644 of the beneficiaries were convicted of economic crimes involving violations of economic management regulations, while 133 were linked to major corruption cases monitored by the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption.

Responding to media questions on whether inmates convicted of corruption-related offenses are eligible for amnesty, Tuyen said amnesty is a special form of state clemency decided by the president, applied to prisoners serving fixed-term sentences, those whose life sentences have been commuted to fixed terms, or those whose sentences are temporarily suspended under special national occasions or other exceptional circumstances, as determined by the state president.

He stressed that any inmate who meets the conditions set out in the presidential decision and the guidelines of the Amnesty Advisory Council may be considered, including those convicted of corruption-related offenses.

However, he noted that the review process is carried out under strict scrutiny.

Before submitting the final list to the president for approval, the advisory council consulted the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption and received feedback on all relevant cases.

The list was then finalized based on that input before being submitted for presidential approval.

Authorities said post-release reintegration is being given special attention, with coordination between local governments and grassroots police forces.

Vietnam has also implemented policies allowing former prisoners to access preferential loans through the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to support their reintegration.

According to data cited by Deputy Minister Tuyen, more than 15,000 former inmates have received such loans, totaling over VND1.3 trillion (US$49.4 million), grantes to support production and business activities.

He said reintegration efforts have been implemented seriously and in compliance with regulations by ministries, local authorities, and police units at all levels.

Many companies have also hired former inmates, while some former prisoners have established their own businesses, generating stable incomes for themselves and their families.

The measures are aimed at helping former prisoners overcome stigma, build stable livelihoods, and reduce the risk of reoffending.

State agencies have seriously implemented regulations on community reintegration in an open and transparent manner, viewing it as an important task in the education and rehabilitation of inmates, he added.