Kazulin may be released ahead of schedule, may he not? :: Charter'97 :: News

Chairman of the Supreme Court Valyantsin Sukala summed up last year’s activities of general courts at the today’s press conference in Minsk. When answering journalists’ questions on a probable release of political prisoners ahead of schedule and of Kazulin in particular, the chairman of the Supreme Court declared that everything might happen. An appeal to the court for ahead of schedule release is demanded in this case.

At the press conference Sukala also emphasized a considerable increase of an average number of cases per one judge: actually this indicator comprises 45 cases against normative 35 per judge. It was caused by a considerable increase of general cases: last year 238806 general cases were submitted to courts, i.e. 50% more than in 2000. In 78283 criminal defendants were convicted, in 2000 –around 52 thousand.

Since 1 March this indicator may grow as since then the cases of driving under alcohol intoxication will fall within the court jurisdiction.

Chairman of the Supreme Court stressed the decreased number of convicted for imprisonment and the increased number of material penalties as a measure of punishment. Thus a number of fined citizens comprised 11% of the total number of the convicted. In 2003 this indicator was 3.2%