On March 4, 2025, the Office of the President, along with the Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Supreme People's Court, and related agencies, held a press conference to announce the amnesty decision for 2025. At this conference, Pham Thanh Ha, Deputy Head of the Office of the President, revealed Decision No. 266 signed by President Luong Cuong on March 3, marking the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and national reunification on April 30, 2025.
Approximately 100,000 prisoners who have demonstrated significant progress through rehabilitation, labor, and education will benefit from this amnesty. The new amnesty policy indicates more lenient criteria compared to previous years.
This year, the minimum time served to be considered for amnesty is now set at one-third of the sentence for those with fixed-term sentences. For individuals sentenced to life imprisonment who have had their sentences reduced to fixed-term, they must serve at least 14 years. Prior to this decision, the requirements mandated serving one-half of the time for fixed-term prisoners and at least 15 years for reduced life sentences.
For special cases qualifying for preferential treatment under the new decision, prisoners must have served at least one-fourth of their fixed-term sentences and 12 years if they are serving reduced sentences for life imprisonment. These adjustments, as outlined by Lieutenant General Le Van Tuyen, the Deputy Minister of Public Security, aim to reflect the humanitarian spirit of the nation and acknowledge the rehabilitation achievements of many inmates.
Le Van Tuyen emphasized how previous amnesties showed encouraging results, noting, "The individuals granted amnesty have complied excellently with laws and regulations, showing very low recidivism rates. This forms the basis for extending the criteria to incentivize inmates who demonstrate good rehabilitation to benefit from the state’s leniency policies."
The report also discussed conditions disqualifying individuals from amnesty. Prisoners fulfilling any of the conditions for disqualification should have more than eight years remaining for fixed-term sentences under Clause 1, Article 11 of the Amnesty Law, and over ten years for other cases specified under Clauses 3 and 4. This threshold was lower under the previous amnesty plan year, where disqualifications were set at remaining terms of over six and eight years, respectively.
Throughout the last 15 years, nearly 100,000 individuals have benefitted from Vietnam's ten structured amnesty events, which coincided with significant national holidays. The country's approach reflects not only its commitment to human rights but also its emphasis on inclusivity for all citizens, including those currently serving sentences.
Pham Thanh Ha highlighted, "Thanks to the Presidential amnesty decisions, tens of thousands have returned joyfully to their families, ready to restart their lives. Most of those granted amnesty have reintegrated positively, engaging sincerely and lawfully within their communities after their release, affirming our policies' humanitarian nature." The percentage of recidivism, as stated, for those granted amnesty has remained extremely low.
He also confirmed the inclusion of foreign inmates under the same amnesty provisions as Vietnamese citizens, indicating the fairness of the process. The amnesty rules have established clear and equal criteria for all prisoners, irrespective of nationality, as delineated by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet.
Looking forward, the question of whether there will be more than one installment of amnesty throughout 2025 hangs, pending presidential directive. Officials believe the April 30 event will be the first of potentially two amnesties this year. According to statistics, as of January 31, 2025, the total number of prisoners across all facilities stands at 197,158, subject to the conditions set forth by the President's decision.
The Government will mobilize agencies to evaluate prisoners' eligibility after the amnesty announcement. Tuyen said, "Once the conditions under the President’s decree are reviewed, the Central Amnesty Council will proceed with the examinations to report on specific cases eligible under the mandates."
This amnesty initiative reflects Vietnam's long-standing commitment to human rights and rehabilitation efforts for those within the criminal justice system. Advocates have pointed out the cultural significance these actions hold, showcasing the nation’s dedication to reform and reintegration.