MOSCOW, September 7 (RAPSI) — Russia's Justice Ministry proposed amendments to a federal law to allow foreigners to serve non-custodial sentences in their home countries. 

The amendments available for public comment cover probation as well, according to the statement of the ministry.

The basis for the transfer of the execution of punishment will be a court decision made on the basis of a petition submitted by the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia, the appeal of the convicted person or his or her representative, or the competent authorities of a foreign state. Such changes are aimed at humanizing the criminal policy of the Russian Federation, preserving social ties and effectively re-socializing convicts, the body believes.

The RAPSI source stressed that the amendments are related to the signing by Russia of the convention of the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States on the transfer of the execution of sentences not related to imprisonment, dated October 11, 2019.

By now, the Convention has not been ratified yet. The draft law establishes a delayed term for its entry into legal force, the ministry noted.