Members of the Committee on Law and Order of Parliament have passed in the first reading a bill amending the Criminal Code and the Code of Offenses of Kyrgyzstan to toughen penalties for transferring prohibited items to persons held in correctional facilities and pre-trial detention centers.
According to Nurlan Sarchaev, First Deputy Head of the State Penitentiary Service, over the past three years more than 7,000 mobile phones and about 560,000 liters of alcohol were seized in prisons and detention centers, while 50 criminal cases were opened for attempts to transfer prohibited items.
He noted that tougher penalties would enhance the preventive effect and help reduce crime rates in places of detention.
The draft law proposes, in particular:
- To increase the fine for transferring or attempting to transfer items, substances, or food products to inmates to 200 calculated rates (20,000 soms) with confiscation;
- To set a fine of 300 calculated rates (30,000 soms) for transferring mobile communication devices and other data transmission equipment;
- To introduce criminal liability for repeat offenses, with penalties of up to 1,000 calculated rates (50,000–100,000 soms), community service, or imprisonment for a term from two to five years.
