A bill on amnesty in connection with the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders has been submitted to parliament, said Zhanna Baturitskaya, Head of the Sentence Enforcement Department of the Department of Corrections of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Colonel of Internal Service, to journalists, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.
"The developed draft law has been approved by the Head of State. It has been submitted to parliament for consideration and will be reviewed by deputies in the near future," said Zhanna Baturitskaya.
Traditionally, it is proposed to release individuals belonging to the so-called preferential category of convicted persons who have committed minor crimes. These include minors, women and men with children under 18 years of age, pregnant women, pensioners, disabled persons of groups I and II, and patients with oncological diseases. For a separate category of convicted persons, a reduction of the sentence by one year is envisaged, and for minors – by two years.
The amnesty will only apply to individuals who are positively characterized and have fully compensated for the damage caused by the crime.
It is proposed not to extend the amnesty to those who have previously benefited from it but have re-offended. This also applies to those who maliciously violate the established order of serving sentences, and to especially dangerous recidivists. It is also assumed that the amnesty will not apply to those who have committed certain categories of crimes. These include crimes against human life and health, against sexual integrity, related to illicit drug trafficking, committed by an organized group, and corruption offenses.
The adoption of the amnesty law and its implementation will not lead to a deterioration of the crime situation. "Amnesty is usually applied to persons who are convicted of imprisonment for the first time," explained Zhanna Baturitskaya. "Those who are convicted of crimes that are not classified as serious or do not pose a significant public danger are released."
The bill was developed by order of the President by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in conjunction with the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General's Office, and other interested departments.