Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec. 12
By Daniar Azizov - Trend:
At a plenary session held on Dec. 12 the Uzbek Senate adopted a resolution on amnesty in connection with the 21st anniversary of the adoption of the country's constitution.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Legislation, Judicial and Legal Issues, Svetlana Artykova said that amnesty should be applied to those persons whose crimes are not dangerous to society.
Amnesty should cover women, persons under 18, men over 60 and foreign nationals, according to the decree adopted by the senate.
In addition, disabled people and those suffering from serious diseases, as well as persons who have committed a crime by negligence and sentenced for the first time, are also considered for amnesty.
Amnesty also covers persons convicted for the first time for participation in the activities of banned organizations, but who have not committed serious crimes and "firmly set foot on the path of correction".
At the same time the amnesty will not apply to those sentenced to life imprisonment, convicted of intentional homicide and persons who committed particularly serious crimes.
The senate's resolution will enter into force from the date of publication in the media outlets and shall be executed within three months.
Since 2008 amnesty has been implemented in Uzbekistan by the courts.
The right to grant amnesty was passed to the senate with the start of activity of the bicameral parliament in Uzbekistan in 2005. Previously it was the exclusive prerogative of the president.
Uzbek senate first approved the amnesty act in 2005 in connection with the 13th anniversary of the adoption of the country's constitution.
A previous decision on amnesty was adopted by the senate in December last year. The amnesty act has been applied to 68,809 people, 42,649 of which were exempted from criminal liability and punishment, and the sentences of 26,160 persons were reduced.