Parliament voted to amend the Amnesty Law and the Penal Code
Parliament has voted to amend the Amnesty Law, specifically targeting an article that previously permitted certain prisoners, including those serving life sentences, to benefit from both sentence reduction and conditional release simultaneously. Under the new amendment, a convicted individual who has had their sentence reduced or commuted will no longer be eligible for parole until they have served their entire sentence.
The new provisions approved by the majority of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) allow the new provisions to apply to convicted individuals whose sentences have been reduced or commuted under the Law on Amnesty, related to the anniversary of the proclamation of independence of the Republic of Moldova, and who were subsequently released early.
Today, the PAS majority also voted, in the first reading, on several amendments to the Law on Amnesty and the Criminal Code. These amendments aim to eliminate the possibility for prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment to first receive a reduced term of detention or commutation and then qualify for early conditional release.
The main changes are as follows:
Conditional release for individuals sentenced to life imprisonment can now only be applied after serving a minimum of 30 years (previously, it was 25 years).
Individuals sentenced to life imprisonment can no longer have the unserved portion of their sentence replaced with a milder one.
If a person has already benefited from a sentence commutation from life imprisonment to 30 years, they cannot also qualify for conditional release.
The Amnesty Law now excludes the possibility of reducing the sentence to 30 years for those sentenced to life imprisonment.
These changes also apply to ongoing legal procedures, as long as the courts have not yet issued a final decision.
The legislative changes, which facilitated the release of certain prisoners, were promoted by MP Olesea Stamate. However, before the Parliament session, the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) announced Stamate's exclusion from the party and vacate the seat of deputy of Parliament.
According to the National Penitentiary Administration (ANP), from 2021 to the present, 24 life-sentenced prisoners have benefited from either a reduction in sentence or release. Of these, nine have already been released, and another 15 will continue their sentence under milder conditions until the end of the 30-year term.
Who are the released convicts?
At least two notorious criminals, Alexandru Sinigur, alias "Синий", and Iurie Radulov, alias "Бабёр", have been released on parole. Both had convictions for murders and serious crimes committed both in Moldova and abroad. Sinigur was recently detained by the authorities, being suspected of a new crime, while Radulov managed to flee the country. An investigation is underway to clarify the circumstances of their release.
