Alexander Lukashenko submits amnesty bill to parliament

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko submitted the amnesty bill timed to the 70th anniversary of Belarus’ liberation from the Nazi invaders to the Belarusian parliament on 21 April.

The document was drafted upon the initiative of the head of state. “The goal of the document is to ensure social justice for convicts who have mended their ways. Amnesty is viewed as a supreme manifestation of humanism on the part of the state,” the press service informed.

Taking into consideration the previous experience, the new amnesty bill will extend to certain groups of people. These are underage convicts, pregnant women, pension-age people, disabled people, war veterans, people affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The amnesty bill will not apply to them if they were convicted of grave and extremely grave crimes.

Certain groups of convicts who cannot apply for discharge from prison will still be able to have their prison term reduced by one year.

Amnesty will not apply to people who committed extremely grave crimes, like premeditated murder, rape, human trafficking, establishment of a criminal gang, racketeering, terrorism, and those who failed to meet the requirements for relief from criminal responsibility and punishment stipulated by the bill.

According to preliminary estimates of the Interior Ministry, about 2,730 people are to be released unconditionally and some 5,500 convicts will have their prison term reduced by one year.