Kyrgyzstan joins Council of Europe’s Convention on Transfer of Sentenced Persons

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday announced that it has joined the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

A statement by the Kyrgyz presidency said that President Sadyr Japarov signed a law on his country’s accession to the convention, which the parliament adopted on Dec. 20.

The statement said the law “provides for the creation of a legal framework in the field of transfer of convicted persons” between Kyrgyzstan and Council of Europe member states “to serve further sentences in the state of which they are citizens, and also the implementation of internal state procedures.”

It also concerns other states that have acceded to the convention, the statement said, indicating that the convention’s purpose is to “develop international cooperation in the field of criminal law, which should contribute to the achievement of justice and social rehabilitation of convicted persons.”

The statement reminded that the convention provides that a convicted person can only be transferred to his or her country of citizenship, further saying that being transferred to another country can happen only through the consent of the person and states involved.

“According to the Convention, each party (state) may grant pardon, amnesty or commutation of punishment in accordance with its constitution or other laws. Only the sentencing State has the authority to decide any application for judicial review,” it said.

The law comes into force 10 days from the date of its official publication, the statement concluded.