Vietnam’s Secretary General and President To Lam announced On Saturday, 9,950 prisoners, including foreigners and people convicted in high-profile corruption cases, will be released under a national amnesty program effective June 1.
Vietnam announced the amnesty amid preparations for the ruling Communist Party 14th National Congress and the country’s 2026 general election. Vietnam has frequently granted amnesties on the occasion of important national events. A similar amnesty took place in 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary of the country’s reunification. Which were released this year contain 63 foreign nationals, 56 men and seven women, as well as 133 people convicted of public violence corruption cases.
Deputy head of the President’s Office Can Dinh Tai spoke at a press conference to announce the amnesty highlighted the political, legal and humanitarian significance of the measure. Tai said the amnesty reflects Vietnam’s commitment to building a socialist constitutional state, explaining that “no one will be left behind if they are truly determined to correct their mistakes and strive to improve themselves through their own will.”
Under Vietnamese law, amnesties allow early release for eligible prisoners who have demonstrated rehabilitation and good behavior. According to Vietnamese state broadcaster Voice of Vietnam, more than 118,000 prisoners have been granted amnesty in twelve rounds of releases since 2009. The broadcaster reported that a record 22,089 people were granted amnesty in 2025 and that only 13 subsequently reoffended, which authorities cited as evidence of a low recidivism rate among the program’s beneficiaries.
Accordingly World Prison LetterVietnam had a prison population of 133,986 as of June 2022, which corresponds to an incarceration rate of 135 people per 100,000 population. The United States has a prison population of 542 people per 100,000, Thailand has a prison population rate of 428 per 100,000 and Singapore has a prison population rate of 178 per 100,000.
The latest amnesty follows broader criminal justice reforms passed in Vietnam last year. In June 2025, the Vietnamese National Assembly voted to abolish the death penalty for eight crimes, including embezzlement, bribery, espionage, drug trafficking, sabotage and acts aimed at overthrowing the government. The reform reduced the number of crimes punishable by the death penalty from 18 to 10. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed the move and called on authorities to continue to push for the complete abolition of the death penalty.
