Russian Criminal Code to Be More Humanitarian

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced at a meeting in the Prosecutor-General's Office that the country's criminal-legal policy can only be effective when its is selective and well justified.

President Putin reminded those present that a package of amendments to the Criminal Code had been sent to the State Duma on Tuesday. The head of state said that they concerned reducing the level of punishment for minor crimes. However, he said that the sentences for crimes against the individual would remain unchanged.

The head of state believes that proposals to make policy more humanitarian are timely, not least because Russia has the largest prison population in the world.