George Speight, known for his role as the self-proclaimed leader of the 2000 coup in Fiji, has been released from prison. He was granted a presidential pardon by the Mercy Commission and was officially discharged from the custody of the Fiji Corrections Service along with former military officer Shane Stevens.
Speight had been serving a life sentence for treason since his conviction in 2002. Over the course of 24 years, 1 month, and 23 days—totaling 8,820 days—he was incarcerated on Nukulau Island and at the Naboro Correction Facility.
The Mercy Commission noted that positive behavior reports from the corrections service supported Speight’s pardon, along with psychological and judicial assessments that favored his reintegration into society.
In addition to Speight and Stevens, several others were also released, including Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, James Sanjesh Goundar, Adi Livini Radininausori, and John Miller. The Mercy Commission reviewed their applications before the president granted them pardons under Section 119(5) of the Constitution.
The pardons were officially granted on September 18, 2024. However, it was noted that James Sanjesh Goundar, who died on September 6 at the Minimum Corrections Center, did not benefit from the pardon.
The Fiji Corrections Service stated that the government is committed to justice, rehabilitation, and the rule of law, with the Mercy Commission playing a crucial role in evaluating clemency petitions. Last December, others convicted alongside Speight for the same coup were previously pardoned, including notable figures like Naitasiri high chief Ratu Inoke Takiveikata.