The government approved on Thursday a draft law granting criminal amnesty, a document obtained by Euronews Albania, which provides for full or partial exemption from serving sentences, as well as the termination of criminal proceedings for a broad category of offenses and individuals, with strict exclusions for serious crimes.<\/p>\n
According to the draft law, the amnesty is based on the principles of humanism, rehabilitation, and the protection of the public interest, aiming to reduce overcrowding in penitentiary institutions and increase the efficiency of the justice system. Special focus is placed on women, minors, and the elderly, for whom more lenient criteria are \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0443\u0441\u043c\u043e\u0442\u0440ed.<\/p>\n
The document stipulates that men sentenced to up to three years in prison and women sentenced to up to four years are exempt from serving their sentences, for court decisions issued by December 31, 2025, regardless of the remaining time to be served. The amnesty also applies to individuals who, at the time the law enters into force, have up to three years of imprisonment remaining for men and up to four years for women. It further covers convicted persons over the age of 60 for men and over 50 for women, as well as those who were minors at the time the offense was committed.<\/p>\n
The draft law explicitly excludes from amnesty individuals who have evaded justice, as well as a long list of serious criminal offenses. Those convicted of crimes against humanity, crimes against life, sexual offenses, crimes against children, corruption, organized crime, terrorism, offenses undermining free elections, justice, and the constitutional order, along with a range of serious economic, environmental, and state authority\u2013related crimes, are not eligible. Also excluded are individuals tried by the Court against Corruption and Organized Crime for offenses within its jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
For those not fully exempted from serving their sentences, the draft law provides for sentence reductions. Women and minors benefit from a reduction of one and a half years, while men receive a one-year reduction. Life imprisonment convicts, perpetrators of aggravated murder, individuals convicted in cases reviewed by the Court against Corruption and Organized Crime, as well as those who have evaded justice, are excluded from these reductions.<\/p>\n
A separate chapter addresses criminal prosecution, providing for the dismissal of cases under investigation, trial, or not yet examined, for criminal offenses committed by December 31, 2025, carrying a maximum sentence of up to three years in prison or lighter penalties. Here too, numerous exclusions apply, including sensitive offenses related to violence, corruption, sexual abuse, elections, and organized crime. Individuals who have evaded justice, officials obliged to declare assets, and subjects tried by the Court against Corruption and Organized Crime are excluded from this provision.<\/p>\n
The draft law emphasizes that the implementation of the amnesty does not affect the civil rights of parties in criminal proceedings, nor obligations related to court costs incurred up to the moment the law enters into force. According to the document, the law will enter into force 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette.<\/p>\n
The draft law is expected to be submitted to Parliament for review and approval, at a time when criminal amnesty remains one of the most sensitive political and social debates in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The government approved on Thursday a draft law granting criminal amnesty, a document obtained by Euronews Albania, which provides for full or partial exemption from serving sentences, as well as the termination of criminal proceedings for a broad category of offenses and individuals, with strict exclusions for serious crimes. According to the draft law, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":82710,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[153,1803],"tags":[243,151],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n