Ministry of Internal Affairs: amnesty law will affect 8.5 thousand citizens

December 8, MINSK. The amnesty law will affect 8.5 thousand citizens. BelTA was informed about this in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Bodies and institutions of the penitentiary system are starting to implement the amnesty law signed by the HEAD of state.

According to preliminary estimates, the law will affect to varying degrees about 8.5 thousand convicts serving sentences in places of deprivation of liberty, open correctional institutions and penitentiary inspections. At the same time, about 4.5 thousand convicts will be released from serving their sentences, another 4 thousand sentences will be reduced by 1 year.

Minors, pregnant women and single men with children under the age of eighteen will be exempted from all types of punishment; persons of retirement age, disabled people of the first and second groups, patients with an active form of tuberculosis or oncological diseases, HIV-infected; veterans of military operations on the territory of other states (in accordance with the law on veterans); citizens affected by the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, other radiation accidents; persons who were injured or ill while on duty while serving in the armed forces, in connection with the performance of official activities during the period of service in paramilitary organizations.

The sentence will be reduced by one year for persons who have committed crimes related to drug trafficking under the age of eighteen, as well as citizens who have committed corruption crimes.

Under the amnesty law will fall persons who have committed crimes before the day the law comes into force, sentences for which will be decided before the expiration of the amnesty.

At the same time, the amnesty law does not apply to convicts, to whom amnesty or pardon was applied from 2019 to 2022, and who again committed an intentional crime; citizens who have not fully compensated for the harm (damage) caused, as well as criminal legal compensation; malicious violators of the established order while serving a sentence; who have committed a particularly dangerous recidivism of crimes or have been recognized as especially dangerous recidivists; persons whose punishment in the form of the death penalty, life imprisonment is replaced by a punishment in the form of imprisonment; sentenced to life imprisonment who have committed crimes against the state, justice, management order, sexual inviolability, traffic safety and operation of transport in alcoholic or drug intoxication; those who have not reimbursed the alimony arrears or the expenses for the maintenance of children who are on state care; who committed crimes after the age of eighteen related to drug trafficking.

Special commissions will be set up in correctional institutions and penitentiary inspections to consider materials regarding convicts who are subject to the law. Schedules for the meetings of these commissions will be coordinated with the prosecution authorities. The results of consideration of the application of the amnesty will be communicated individually to each convict against signature. The amnesty law will be implemented within six months.