Belarus might soften Penal Code
The Supreme Court and the Office of the Prosecutor General are set to soften sentences in the criminal cases that pose no threat to the public safety, the European Radio for Belarus has learned. Those who could have previously been sentenced to up to 6 years now can avoid imprisonment, if the Office of the President approves the proposal.
Softer punishment will be applied to certain crimes. Mikhail Vavula, Office of the Prosecutor General spokesman told the European Radio for Belarus that even those who are facing a maximum sentence of up to six years could be subjected to a softer punishment.
Mikhail Vavula: “Our proposals deal with the crimes that pose no big threat to the public safety, including deliberate crimes which lead to no more than 6 years in prison and the crimes punished for with up to years in prison”.
Today, there are over 120,000 convicts in Belarus. 90 percent of these crimes pose no threat to the public safety, according to Belarus’s Prosecutor General Pyotr Miklashevich. Criminal prosecution should be replaced with a fine for these crimes, according to the proposals of the Supreme Court and the Office of the Prosecutor General.
However, it is unclear whether all the convicts will be able to bail themselves out of jail by a fine. Most likely, decisions will be taken individually in every particular case.
The European Radio for Belarus also asked about the fate of those who are serving their prison terms for the articles that are proposed to be changed with a fine. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General spokesman, this depends on the decision of the Office of the President. If the presidential administration approves these proposals, relevant changes will be introduced into the Penal Code. Afterwards, the Supreme Court and the Office of the Prosecutor General will begin reviewing the verdicts that have already come into force.
The European Radio for Belarus has also learned that softer punishment is not envisaged for those convicted for economic crimes or the crimes associated with the drugs. Courts will have to decide which of the crimes could be classified as the ones with no threat to the public safety.
Mikhail Vavula also failed to say at least approximately when our Penal Code could be amended. This depends wholly on the Office of the President.
ERB’s file
There were 120,000 convicts in Belarus as of November 1, according to the official sources. Over 20,000 are serving their terms in correction colonies; 6700 in exiles; 1170 – in arrest houses; 3600 – in correctional labor hospitals. Over 7000 people were held in pre-trial detention facilities. Over 10000 people were convicted with out the restriction of freedom.
17 percent were convicted for theft; 13 percent – for murder; 9 percent for the crimes associated with drugs; 8 percent for robbery and assaults. 35 percent of the convicts were sentenced to 5 to 20 years; 30 percent – to 1 to 3 years; 17 percent – from 3 to 5 years; 10 percent – from 10 to 15 years; 4 percent – to over 15 years; 1 percent – to over 20 years.
