Parliament committee has approved accession of Kyrgyzstan to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty. The decision was made Tuesday at the session of the parliament Committee on International Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation, News agency "24.kg" reported.
It is the republic's way to show its commitment to the democratic principles, Nurlan Tursunkulov the Justice Minister of Kyrgyzstan said. "As it is, the death penalty has been replaced with life imprisonment in all articles of the criminal proceedings," Tursunkulov added.
As to the justice minister, world experience has shown that abolishment of the death penalty did not influence the amount of committed crimes. "That is why we think Kyrgyzstan has made the right decision," the official said.
The draft bill has been ratified by the parliament members.