Failed coup leader George Speight, who was originally sentenced to death for treason, has been released from a Fijian jail after receiving a presidential pardon.

Speight, a bankrupt businessman, led a racially tinged 2000 coup that held prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry and lawmakers hostage for 56 days

The man behind the 2000 coup in Fiji, George Speight, and the head of the mutineers, former soldier Shane Stevens, have been granted presidential pardons. In a statement, the Fiji Correction Service said the pair were among seven prisoners who were granted pardons by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere after recommendations by the Mercy Commission.

Now that he is a free man, one hopes George Speight will reveal the truth about the 2000 coup. He has maintained right from the beginning that he was

Coup leader George Speight has been released from prison today among five other inmates. This has been confirmed by the Fiji Corrections Service stating that Speight and others have been granted Presidential Pardons.

Failed coup leader George Speight has been granted a presidential pardon and released from Fiji's correctional facility Thursday, 24 years after orchestrating the 2000 coup that shook the Pacific nation. The decision, made by the Mercy Commission on 18 Sept. 2024, saw the release of Speight, who was serving a life sentence for treason.