Some 1,200 prisoners released under amnesty in Kazakhstan
ASTANA. June 21 (Interfax) - Some 1,200 people have walked free in Kazakhstan under the amnesty on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Kazakh independence, the press service of the Penal System Committee at the Kazakh Interior Ministry said.
"Some 1,200 convicts walked free and another 2,269 had their prison terms reduced under the amnesty, which ended in mid June 2017," a report released on Wednesday said.
Additionally, over 6,700 people who served their terms without being isolated from society and were registered with the probation services were released.
The amnesty has also affected 40 foreign citizens, mainly citizens from the CIS countries, the report said.
Some 1,300 citizens of CIS and non-CIS countries are now in Kazakh penitentiary establishments, the agency said.
The law on amnesty over the 25th Anniversary of the Kazakh independence was passed in December 2016. The amnesty was expected to affect some 28,000 citizens, including 1,500 people expected to be released from penitentiary establishments.