DUSHANBE, February 21, Asia-Plus – The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has summed up the results of Tajikistan’s amnesty law adopted on the occasion of the 15 the anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence Day.
Gulzora Tayghunshoyeva, a chief inspector with the MoJ penal system directorate, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that 6,731 people, including 271 women, 21 minors, 71 elderly people, 55 disabled people, as well as 11 participants of cleanup operation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and veterans of the Afghan War of 1979-1989 have been released under the Independence Day amnesty.
According to her, among those granted amnesty on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Tajikistan’s independence are 126 foreigners.
Tayghunshoyeva added that another 4,508 prisoners have been granted partial amnesty, in which the prisoner’s sentence is reduced.
According to the MoJ, before the adoption of the amnesty law, some 12,000 prisoners were in the jails in Tajikistan. At present some 8,500 people are in pretrial detention facilities and penal colonies in the country. According to the MoJ, there are five pretrial detention facilities and 11 penal colonies in Tajikistan.
The Independence Day amnesty applied to veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and elderly, young and sick prisoners who are serving sentences for minor crimes. The amnesty did not apply to persons serving sentences for serious crime or for killing two and more people, recidivists or those who committed crimes in prisons.
Under the amnesty granted in 2001, some 10,000 people were released. In all, Tajikistan has announced 10 amnesties since 1993.
