The number of criminal cases considered in the courts of the Vitebsk region decreased by 19% in the first half of the year

August 18, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The number of criminal cases considered by the courts of the Vitebsk region in the first half of the current year decreased by 19%, Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Court Nikolai Khamichenok told reporters, BELTA correspondent reports.

Compared to January-June of last year, the number of criminal cases considered has significantly decreased: from 3.7 thousand to 3 thousand. According to Nikolai Khamichenok, this indicates a continued decrease in the overall crime rate, and also testifies to the positive processes occurring in Belarusian society.

As Nikolai Khamichenok noted, when assigning criminal liability measures, Belarusian justice proceeds from the fact that imprisonment is an exceptional measure of punishment, and alternative types should replace it, primarily fines. At the same time, recently courts have seen a problem with the execution of such punishments as restriction of liberty and correctional labor: approximately every third convicted person evades them. "In this regard, courts intend to apply types of punishment that will be executed," emphasized Nikolai Khamichenok.

In the first half of the current year, courts of the region sentenced 23% of individuals to imprisonment, 13.8% to restriction of liberty, 10% to community service, and 8.7% each to correctional labor or fines. These indicators decreased compared to the same period last year. At the same time, in the first half of the current year, the number of individuals sentenced to arrest increased to 19.7%.

The Chairman of the regional court also noted that in the first half of the current year, acquittals were issued in respect of 19 persons. In cassation and supervisory order, 47 sentences against 59 persons were overturned, which is 1.6% of the sentences passed by the courts, and 54 sentences against 60 persons were changed (1.7% of the sentences passed). In the first half of last year, 1.1% of sentences were overturned from the total number of sentences passed, and 1.6% were changed.

According to Nikolai Khamichenok, the quality of judicial investigation largely depends on the preliminary investigation. In this regard, judicial bodies believe that the head of state's decision to establish the Investigative Committee in Belarus will improve the quality of preliminary investigation. "The Investigative Committee will become the body that will collect both incriminating and exculpatory evidence, based on the presumption of innocence," is confident the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Court.-0-