President Al-Assad Declares General Amnesty for Crimes Committed before June 9th, 2014
DAMASCUS, (ST)-President Bashar Al-Assad on Monday issued legislative decree No.22 for 2014 announcing general amnesty for crimes committed before June 9th, 2014.
The amnesty decree reduces sentences in most cases and eliminate whole penalties in other ones.
According to the decree, death sentences, for example,are changed into life with hard labor or life detention, life sentences are replaced with 20-year terms and convicted people, who have got terminal illnesses or who are older than 70, will be released.
Minister of Justice Najm al-Ahmad said in a statement to SANA that thedecree is part of the Syrian government’s efforts to achievereconciliation and maintain national unity across the country particularly after the victories attained by the Syrian Arab Army in the battle against terrorism and takfiri mentality.
Al-Ahmad added the President’s initiative covered all crimes starting from those getting death penalties to small offenses.
The decree excluded some crimes connected with treason, spying and grave terrorist crimes, said the minister.
SANA pointed out that the amnesty decree is applied to foreigners who entered Syria to join a terrorist group or commit a terrorist act if they turn themselves in to the authorities within a month of the decree.
Sentences for kidnapping will be eliminated if abductors free the kidnappedpeople safely without taking ransom or deliver them to competent authorities within a month according to the agency.
This is not the first amnesty announced by President Al-Assad. The last amnesty was decreed in October 2013.
H. Mustafa