KHUJAND, November 27, 2009, Asia-Plus — The Khujand military court has amnestied 26 servicemen of military units deployed in the Sughd province.
Among them are draftees and officers, including one lieutenant-colonel – the former chief of the Qairoqum military registration and enlistment office.
The source at the Khujand military court said the amnestied servicemen had been convicted on charges of abuse of office, desertion, loss of military property, and misuse of powers or administrative dereliction.
In the meantime, in all, 616 people have been granted amnesty in northern Tajikistan by this day; of them 460 prisoners, including 10 women, have been released form the Khujand minimum-security penal colonies.
Besides, 15 persons have been released from the Sughd medium-security penal colony and 311 inmates in this penal colony have been granted partial amnesty – their sentences were reduced by one-third.
Under the amnesty law, 11 persons have also been released from a high-security penal colony and 168 inmates of this penal colony have been granted partial amnesty – their sentences were reduced by a quarter.
Besides, 130 people, including 19 women, have been released from pretrial detention facilities of Khujand and Istaravshan.
We will recall that President Emomali Rahmon in early October signed a decree that grants amnesty to an estimated 10,000 prisoners. The amnesty pardons mainly convicts who were under 18 years when they committed their crimes, men and women over 55, and foreign nationals. According to presidential press service, a special commission is reviewing all the cases to decide which prisoners will be granted an amnesty.
In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Zafar Azizov, the deputy head of the Supreme Court of Tajikistan, revealed on November 13 that of 10,000 prisoners that will be granted amnesty, only 3,000 well be released, while others will be granted a partial amnesty, i.e. their prison terms will be reduced.
