1, 600 convicts to be released in 2011 within humanization of legislation

ANA. March 25. KAZINFORM /Muratbek Makulbekov/ 1, 600 prisoners will be released in 2011 within humanization of the legislation, representative of the Presidential Administration Alik Shpekbayev has informed of it at the conference on National preventive mechanism in Kazakhstan: Issues of formation and implementation held in Astana today.

"The Head of State has set a firm course towards democratic changes which is proved with large-scale reform of the law-enforcement and court systems. Under this reform we have humanized our criminal legislation through decriminalization and exclusion of imprisonment as a type of punishment from a number of articles", A. Shpekbayev said.

According to him, over 13, 000 prisoners will undergo humanization while 1, 600 ones will be freed. 853 people have already been released. Besides, the country's Security Council has taken a decision to carry out amnesty and a corresponding bill is under development now.