Approximately 6,000 convicts to receive clemency in upcoming amnesty program.
In a move to soften Kazakhstan's criminal policy, the Mazhilis - the country's lower house of Parliament - has passed a new amnesty law. This law, rolled out to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Constitution, aims to provide relief to certain convicts.
The law focuses on individuals who have served or are currently serving time for crimes that are not an immediate threat to citizens or the state. This includes:
- Those convicted of minor offenses.
- Individuals who have committed moderate-severity crimes, but these did not result in any harm or the harm was fully compensated.
- Socially vulnerable individuals who have been convicted of moderate-severity crimes, regardless of any harm done or civil claims.
As per the Mazhilis press service, around 6,000 individuals currently in custody and 9,000 under probation supervision could be eligible for this amnesty.
For those convicted of embezzlement, misappropriation of entrusted property, or fraud on a large scale, the unserved or unexecuted portion of their sentences could be reduced by one-fifth if they successfully compensate for the damage caused by their criminal offense and meet the civil claims against them.
The final decision on granting amnesty will be made by the court on a case-by-case basis for each convicted person.
The new law also suggests closing criminal cases, including those not yet reviewed by courts, for minor and moderate crimes committed before the law's implementation by individuals facing criminal charges. As a result, around 2,136 criminal cases will have their pre-trial proceedings closed.
It's essential to note that this amnesty will be limited to newly criminalized offenses in the context of strengthening the fight against crime, such as those involving the illegal disclosure of state secrets or corruption. However, amnesty will not apply to individuals who have committed particularly dangerous crimes or those mentioned in specific exclusions, like corrupt officials, terrorists, or extremists.
In all, the amnesty law targets minor to medium offenses and socially vulnerable convicts, excludes serious, violent, and corruption-related crimes, and will potentially release or reduce sentences for approximately 15,000 individuals. Happy birthday, Kazakhstan's Constitution! Here's to a more humane criminal policy.
The new amnesty law, in celebration of Kazakhstan's Constitution, focuses on providing relief to individuals serving time for non-immediate threat crimes, which includes those convicted of minor offenses, moderate-severity crimes with no harm done or compensated harm, and socially vulnerable individuals convicted of such crimes. This amnesty, however, does not apply to individuals who have committed serious, violent, or corruption-related crimes, like corrupt officials, terrorists, or extremists.
