On February 21, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The application of imprisonment and restriction of liberty sentences by courts in the Vitebsk region has decreased, BELTA was informed at the Vitebsk Regional Court. In 2011, compared to 2010, the proportion of persons sentenced to imprisonment in courts significantly decreased by 1.8%, restriction of liberty by 3.5%, fines by 3%, and correctional labor by 4.2%. At the same time, there was an increase in the proportion of other criminal liability measures, including sentencing with a suspended sentence and sentencing with a conditional non-application of punishment, by 4.8%. These types of punishment are forms of implementing criminal liability and achieving its goals by applying preventive and corrective measures to the offender, but without imposing criminal punishment, the court explained. In addition, 5.6% of those held liable were exempted from criminal liability under Articles 86-89 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus due to involvement in administrative offenses, the loss of public danger of the act, repentance, or reconciliation with the victim. This situation with criminal punishment is consistent with the provisions of the Concept for Improving the System of Criminal Liability Measures and the Procedure for Their Execution, approved by Decree No. 672 of December 23, 2010. This systemic document outlines a set of organizational, practical, legislative, and other measures to improve the system of punishments and other criminal liability measures in order to ensure their compliance with the level of socio-economic development of the republic, the goals of social adaptation of convicted persons, and the structure of crime. In particular, the concept envisages expanding the application of punishments alternative to imprisonment and other criminal liability measures, and strengthening the preventive impact of deferred sentencing, conditional non-application of punishment, and sentencing without punishment. In 2011, 6.1 thousand criminal cases were considered by courts in the Vitebsk region with the pronouncement of sentences, a decrease of 19% compared to 2010. 6.7 thousand people were convicted, which is 19.6% less than in 2010. -0-

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