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EXCHANGE TREATIES & PARDONS

There are several countries who currently have Prisoner Exchange Treaties with Countries like Thailand. A Prisoner Exchange treaty means that if you are arrested in a foreign country in which your own country has a treaty with, then after a set period of time you may be returned to your country of residence to serve the remainder of your sentence. Often your sentence may be reduced in proportion to your own countries code of sentencing.

For some inmates this is the only perceivable way home. They may be serving life sentences (often 30 years is as bad as life) with no hope of seeing their home country ever again. For others it is a matter of survival.

Following is a list of countries who currently have exchange treaties with Thailand. To the right is a Hit list of Countries to petition with regard to creating a transfer treaty! You can click on your country of choice and send an email to their government with the click of a mouse!


April 2005 Indonesia and Australia sign transfer treaty

We are very happy to announce that in April 2005 Australia and Indonesia signed the Prisoner transfer agreement. Much of the impetus for the expedient signing of this agreement is owed to Schapelle Corby who has spent many a harrowing months in an Indonesian prison awaiting the outcome of her case. It will be great to see several of the Australian nationals currently in prison in Indonesia return to Australia to complete their sentences.

It is at times like these we must remember those fellow human beings that are today sitting in cramped prison cells struggeling to stay alive in a foreign prison. Lets keep our efforts up to petition the media and the governments to sign transfer agreements.


South African Women Want to Go Home

We recently received a letter from a group of 18 South African Women who are incarcerated in prison in Thailand. They have sent many letters to their government, all of which have remained unanswered! South Africa does not currently have a prisoner exchange treaty with Thailand, and it is well overdue!

Some of the Women have children on the outside, all of the women want to go home! These women have sent letters to the King of Thailand begging his forgivness, and letters to their own government expressing humble apologies for their crimes. Many women would still have to serve out their sentence in a prison at home, but this would be a lifetime away from the reality they are currently enduring. Most of the women have already served over 6 years in Thai prisons sleeping in huge overcrowded cells with over 200 other women. This reality is made even harder to tollerate by having to watch their friends and fellow foreign inmates going home to their own countries on prisoner exchange treaties.

Help these Women return to their home lands, their children, family & friends.

Treaties & Transfers
As of 2002
Nationality Transfers
Australia
2
Spain
27
Sweden
9
America
47
Britain
12
Italy
4
Hong Kong
62
France
20
Canada
9
Thailand
4
U.K
2
Nigeria
237
USA
1
Treaties Needed With
Nepal
South Africa
Following is a list of countries who do NOT have treaties with Thailand. Click on the name to send an email or add your name to the petition.

PRISONER EXCHANGE TREATY COUNTRY PETITIONS
NEPAL PETITION
GHANA PETITION
SOUTH AFRICA PETITION
Lists of Participating Countries and States
The United States has bilateral transfer treaties with Bolivia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Panama, Peru, Thailand, and Turkey, and is a party to the multilateral Council of Europe (COE) Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. The United States also has prisoner transfer agreements with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshal Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

Bilateral Treaties and Transfer Agreements:
  • Bolivia
  • Canada *
  • Marshall Islands Mexico
  • Panama *
  • Peru Thailand
  • Turkey *
  • Hong Kong Republic of Palau
  • France *
  • Micronesia
* France, Canada, Panama, and Turkey are also signatories to the Council of Europe Convention. France prefers proceeding unde the bilateral treaty.
Countries With Which Prisoner Transfer Treaties Are In Effect
  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Azerbaijan
  • Armenia
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Belgium
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Bulgaria
  • Canada
  • Chile
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
  • Malta
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Netherlands (incl. Netherlands Antilles and Aruba)
  • Nicaragua
  • Norway Palau
  • Panama
  • Peru
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • Serbia
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Thailand
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad/Tobago
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom *
  • Venezuela
* United Kingdom Territories: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Sovereign Base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the Island of Cyprus, St. Helena and St. Helena Dependencies, British Indian Ocean Territory, Ducie and Oeno Islands, Henderson Island, Pitcairn, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Isle of Man
States With Legislation Authorizing the Transfer of Foreign Prisoners
  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont (Canada only)
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming
  • ** (Northern Mariana Islands)
(as of August 5, 2003)
Prisoner Transfer Treaties & Kits
Here you will find the actual treaties & application forms that are to be used for inmates
to apply for transfer under the International Transfer of Prisoners scheme.
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE NEWS PAGE
FREEDOM IS A RIGHT OF ALL HUMAN BEINGS IN A WORLD WHERE LIFE IS VALUED AND PEACE MAY FINALLY BE A POSSABILITY
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