DUSHANBE, August 20, 2011, Asia-Plus — On Saturday August 20, President Emomali Rahmon signed the amnesty law that was approved by the lower house (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament on August 19.
We will recall that the draft amnesty was submitted to the Majlisi Namoyandagon on July 27.
The 2011 amnesty benefits men over 55, 250 female convicts, 107 minors and 130 sick prisoners, who are serving sentences for minor crimes and suffering from cancer and serious diseases, as well as veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, participants in the cleanup operation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, holders of decorations of the Soviet Union and Tajikistan, foreign citizens, and those People sentenced for economic crimes may be released if they have repaid the financial losses they caused.
The amnesty also applies on members of political parties, public associations and illegal religious organizations who were sentenced to five years in prison as well as persons who were sentenced to more than five years in prison and have served two three-quarters of their terms.
The amnesty also applies on militants who fought government troops in 1997 in Khatlon province, Dushanbe, Hisor, Shahrinav and Tursunzoda as well as armed clash of 1998 in Sughd province if they have served half their sentences.
The amnesty excludes those serving sentences for serious crimes such as terrorism and extremism, killing two and more people, recidivists or those who committed crimes in prison.
The amnesty is timed to coincide with the country”s celebrations to mark 20 years of independence on September 9. This is the 13th amnesty the government has approved. In all, 15,000 people will fall under the 2011 amnesty. 4,000 prison inmates are expected to be released, while others may have their prison terms cut.
