DUSHANBE, August 19, 2011, Asia-Plus - The Law on Amnesty was unanimously approved today at the extra session of the Majlisi Namoyandagon of the Majlisi Oli of Tajikistan.

Prosecutor General Sherkhon Salimzoda told the deputies that the law will be applied to nearly 15.000 people. At least 4000 prisoners will be granted amnesty. Prosecutor General also said that the law will also grant amnesty to nearly 130 prisoners suffering from ischemic heart disease and oncologic diseases as well as 250 women and 107 teenagers.

Prosecutor General also noted that this will be 13th amnesty since independence. Salimzoda is confident that prisoners who will be granted amnesty will choose legal and law-abiding path.

Deputy Mahmadali Vatanov on his turn said that the law will be applied to all prisoners except those who got life imprisonment. He said that those prisoners who will not be granted amnesty will get their terms cut.

Hot discussions emerged when deputies turned to amnesty of participants of civil confrontation – those who fought for the People’s Front and United Tajik Opposition (UTO). Thus, President’s Adviser for Legal Policy Juma Davlatov said that according to the list, which was proposed by the UTO and later approved by the National Reconciliation Commission on March 3, 1999, more than 5.500 people – participants of civil confrontation – were granted amnesty. Davlatov also added that some UTO members refused from being included into the list – “they wanted to fight till the last drop of blood,” he said. “UTO gunmen, who committed crimes after 1999, can not be included into the list which was approved by the Reconciliation Commission, but I would recommend them to come to the Prosecutor’s Office since after 1999 5 amnesties were announced in the country and they will probably avoid imprisonment.”

Shukurjon Zukhurov, speaker of the Lower Chamber of the Parliament, urged related structures of the country to prevent corruption and abuse of power in relation to the amnesty law.

Leader of the Tajik Communist party, deputy Shodi Shabdolov, noted that governmental structures should realize and analyze the fact of the growth of crimes in the country after application of the newly approved amnesty law.

“I can’t understand why such people as participants of the World War II (Great Patriotic War), liquidators of the Chernobyl accident and award winners commit crimes and are granted amnesty,” he added.

Shabdolov believes that such situation is the direct result of current situation in the country when the balance between crime and punishment significantly differs. “People can get long terms of imprisonment for minor crimes. We have to think about that,” he said.