DUSHANBE, October 26, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The board (Shuro) of Tajikistan’s lower chamber (Majlisi Namoyandagon) of parliament considered a draft law “On Amnesty” and a number of other bills at an October 26 meeting, presided over by its speaker, Saydullo Khairulloyev. 

Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, said that the new amnesty would be announced in the country on occasion of the 15th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Constitution and Year of Imam Azam in Tajikistan.  In all, more than 10,000 people are expected to be granted amnesty, according to him.   

These issues will be considered at a sitting of the sixth session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the third convocation on October 28, the spokesman said.

We will recall that the last amnesty, which marked the 10th anniversary of the end of the civil war in Tajikistan, was announced in Tajikistan in June 2007.  It applied on veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and female convicts, elderly, minors and sick prisoners who are serving sentences for minor crimes.  The amnesty excluded those serving sentences for serious crimes such as terrorism and extremism, killing two and more people, recidivists or those who committed crimes in prison.