Three special appeals against the conviction have been filed, surprisingly enough, by none other than the State Public Prosecutor General's Office, The trio's lawyers have also applied numerous times for a retrial, and international human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have spoken many times in support of the three men and called for a presidential pardon.
「再審」與「特赦」成了救援蘇建和等三人走出監牢的一線生機。最高檢察署連續提起三次非常上訴，被告律師也數度提出聲請，尋求再審機會，以平反冤情；甚至世界人權團體如國際特赦組織多次發動聲援，請求總統特赦。