Trial da dela: Putin called for further humanization of criminal legislation

Russia should continue the process of humanization of criminal legislation: this will be facilitated by the postponement of restriction of freedom for pregnant women, parents with children under 14 years of age, and in case of illness - immediate release of convicted persons by court order. This was stated by Vladimir Putin on February 20. At a meeting of judges of courts of general jurisdiction, as well as military and arbitration courts, the President noted that they should pay close attention to upholding the rights of the participants of the NWO, and called for strict guarantees for the protection of citizens in Donbass and Novorossiya. What cases last year considered more than before and what crimes "lead" in the structure of the criminal record in Russia - in the material "Izvestia".

How Russian courts will work in 2024

Russian courts in 2024 considered more than 42 million cases. Almost all of them were resolved qualitatively and within a reasonable time, the President noted. Nevertheless, it is necessary to improve justice in the country, in particular, the head of state drew attention to the formation of uniform practice. He called the timely detection and elimination of judicial errors an important condition.

- This is extremely important to increase confidence in the objectivity and independence of the judicial system, to establish the principles of legality and justice in our society, - said Vladimir Putin.

In Russia, the number of crimes involving cryptocurrency is growing, said Irina Podnosova, chairwoman of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. According to her, the structure of the criminal record in the country in 2024 has not undergone significant changes. In the "leaders" are still crimes against property - 38%, against the person - 24%, as well as against public security and public order - 24%.

In total, last year the judicial bodies of general jurisdiction considered 5.8 million cases of administrative offenses. Russian courts in 2024 considered one third more cases of violations of migration legislation and made 34% more decisions on expulsion of foreign offenders from the Russian Federation, Irina Podnosova specified.

Military courts last year considered about 950 cases of terrorist orientation, as a result of which 1,075 people were convicted, the president said. According to him, the protection of the rights of participants of the special military operation and their family members is of special importance.

- Since September 2023, the courts established in the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions have been working. This is a significant step towards the integration of our historical regions into the common legal space of Russia. It is necessary to achieve a strict guarantee of judicial protection of citizens living in these territories, - he added.

In addition, Vladimir Putin urged to pay special attention to the judicial protection of large families, women and children, the disabled and other socially vulnerable categories of citizens.

Humanization of criminal legislation

Last year, the courts considered cases against about 680 thousand citizens, and almost every fifth criminal prosecution was terminated, the President pointed out. Of those convicted, about one third of citizens were sentenced to imprisonment. Vladimir Putin instructed to continue the work on humanization of criminal legislation of the Russian Federation.

- More humanization will also contribute to the postponement of restrictions of freedom for pregnant women, women with a child under the age of 14, as well as for men who have a child under 14 and are the only parent. In addition, court orders to release a convicted person due to illness will be subject to immediate execution," he said.

As HRC member Alexander Brod told Izvestia, the issues of humanization of legislation are raised at meetings of the president with human rights defenders almost every time. Many of them are subsequently implemented, as the head of state pays great attention to the issue of justice.

However, unresolved issues in the judicial system remain. Most often Russians complain about the delay of trials. Part of the problem lies in the excessive workload of judges. It is important that their work does not turn into a conveyor belt, when there is no time even to read the documents, Alexander Brod reminded.

- I judge both by the mail that comes to me, and by my communication with lawyers and fellow human rights defenders. What other issues are people concerned about? These are the issues of adversarial proceedings (ensuring equality of rights of the parties in the trial, equal opportunities to present and study evidence, make motions, express opinions, familiarize themselves with the case materials. - Izvestia). The defendants or their relatives complain that the court does not always take into account the opinion of the defense and does not include an expert opinion in the case," the HRC member added.

Openness is also important: the admission of journalists to trials, especially high-profile ones, with reasonable preservation of the necessary secrecy, Brod concluded. As the President noted, electronic resources also play an important role in the accessibility and openness of justice. Their security issues should be constantly monitored by the Supreme Court, and it is necessary to strengthen their protection from constantly incoming threats, Putin is convinced.