The Albanian government approved the Criminal Amnesty bill this Thursday. The news was announced by the Minister of Justice, Besfort Lamallari, after a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
According to the minister, 447 people benefit from this amnesty and are immediately released from prisons, while 853 other convicts benefit from reduced sentences.
Among the beneficiaries are women, minors and foreign citizens, euronews.al reports.
Lamallari announced that, based on updated data from the General Directorate of Prisons, the Probation Service and the General Prosecutor's Office, 5077 people sentenced to alternative measures are amnestied by the Probation Service. Also, starting from 2024, criminal prosecution for about 14 proceedings for minor criminal offenses is discontinued.
The Minister of Justice emphasized that the amnesty aims to reduce prison overcrowding and focus the justice system on cases with real social danger, while respecting European standards and the recommendations of the Council of Europe.
Lamallari expressed his expectation that the Parliament will review the draft law without delay, so that the effects of the amnesty can begin as soon as possible. He emphasized that subjects of the Prosecutor's Office and the Special Court for Corruption and Organized Crime are excluded from this amnesty.
The amnesty bill is expected to be submitted to the Assembly, where it will be reviewed initially in parliamentary committees and then in a plenary session.
