Senate Approves Amnesty for Constitution Anniversary

Senators have approved a law granting amnesty to more than 15,000 people in connection with the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Constitution, Orda.kz reports.

The measure will apply to individuals convicted of crimes that do not pose a serious threat to public safety.

The following categories of people will be eligible:

• Those convicted of criminal offenses and minor crimes
  
• Persons convicted of medium-gravity crimes who have fully compensated for the damage or where no damages were filed
  
• Socially vulnerable individuals convicted of medium-gravity crimes, regardless of compensation

Over 15,100 people are expected to fall under the amnesty. About 4,100 of them will be fully released from criminal liability, while sentences for another 11,000 will be reduced.

The law explicitly excludes those convicted of particularly serious crimes. Each case will be reviewed individually by a court within six months of the law’s entry into force.

Original Author: Artyom Volkov