George Speight, the leader of the 2000 coup, and former military officer Shane Stevens have been granted presidential pardons and are now free. This information was confirmed by Dr. Jalesi Nakarawa, the Commissioner of the Fiji Corrections Service.
During a meeting held yesterday, the Mercy Commission reviewed the mercy petitions submitted by Speight, Stevens, and five others. Following their discussions, the Commission made recommendations, which were acted upon by the President of Fiji, resulting in pardons for all petitioners under Section 119(5) of the Constitution. These pardons were officially granted on September 18, 2024.
As a result, Speight, Stevens, and the five others—Sekina Vosavakatini, Nioni Tagici, Adi Livini Radininausori, and John Miller—have been officially released from custody. However, it was noted that James Sanjesh Goundar, who passed away on September 6 at the Minimum Corrections Center, was unfortunately unable to benefit from the pardon.