George Speight, who led the coup in 2000, and former military officer Shane Stevens have received presidential pardons, resulting in their release from custody. This information was confirmed by Dr. Jalesi Nakarawa, the Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service.
The Mercy Commission convened yesterday to review mercy petitions from Speight, Stevens, and five others. After considering the requests, the Commission recommended clemency, which was subsequently granted by the President of Fiji, in accordance with Section 119(5) of the Constitution. These pardons were officially issued on September 18, 2024.
As a consequence of this decision, Speight and Stevens, along with the five other individuals—Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, Adi Livini Radininausori, John Miller—are now free. However, it was noted that James Sanjesh Goundar, one of the petitioners who died on September 6 at the Minimum Corrections Center, did not benefit from the pardon before his passing.