Amnesty

Political pardon for an individual or group that provides an exemption from prosecution for past actions. The word “amnesty” comes from the Greek and is linked to the word amnesia, meaning “forgetfulness.” The Greeks, in declaring victory over an opponent, agreed not to recall the misfortunes of the past or seek revenge. The modern concept of amnesty is similar: Governments agree to extend political forgiveness and to “forget” offenses committed by their citizens. In granting individual or blanket (for groups) amnesty, a government agrees not to try persons for their real or supposed crimes.

Amnesty is less controversial when it is sought or granted for prisoners of conscience—those imprisoned or exiled because of their political or religious beliefs. Watchdog groups or individuals may lobby governments to grant amnesty to such persons (for example, the watchdog group Amnesty International got its start in this way). Governments are generally applauded for granting amnesty in such cases, and there are few political repercussions.

However, amnesty may be highly politically charged. It became a hot issue at the end of the Vietnam War, for example, when large numbers of Americans evaded or failed to register for the draft, deserted, or left the army with less than honorable discharges. President Gerald Ford issued a limited clemency proclamation, and President Jimmy Carter eventually issued many pardons. In doing so, however, Carter upset many who thought he had done too little and others who thought he had done too much.

Amnesty has been used effectively in the past and in recent times for the purposes of national rebuilding. After the Civil War, for example, President Abraham Lincoln issued pardons to individuals who had served in the Confederate army to prevent internal strife and to bring the country back together. More recently, as South Africa transitioned from minority to majority rule, the South African government granted individual amnesty to those who had committed politically motivated human rights abuses in exchange for full disclosure of the truth. Their revelations helped South Africa to understand its past and pave the way for reconciliation between white and black South Africans.

Amnesty also may be used to simultaneously reconstruct a nation and destabilize its internal foes. In the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, for example, the Iraqi interim government offered amnesty to low-ranking insurgents. It was hoped that this move would diminish the ranks of the opposing forces and bring more people to the side of the newly emerging Iraqi government.