Is a Partial Amnesty Coming? Will those sentenced to less than 5 years be released? The articles and content of the 2025 10th Judiciary Package

The partial amnesty debate, which is closely followed by prisoners and their families, is back on the agenda. While the Ministry of Justice continues its work on the 10th Judiciary Package, which includes new execution regulations, the possible partial amnesty articles that may be included in the package have also become a matter of curiosity. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç's recent statements on the subject provide clues about the new legal regulations. So, will a partial amnesty come, and who will it cover? New Draft Package of 55 Articles According to information obtained from Ministry of Justice sources, the 10th Judicial Package has been completed as a draft and sent to the relevant ministries for their opinions. It is stated that the package, which includes amendments and regulations in 14 different laws, consists of a total of 55 articles. The package, which is expected to be presented to the parliamentary agenda soon, will include new regulations regarding the execution system. 1/5 of the sentence will be spent in prison The new regulation re-determines the conditions of probation. Convicts will not be able to benefit from probation without serving a certain portion of their sentences in prison. According to the new model, convicts will have to spend at least 1/5 of their sentences in a penal institution. Accordingly, a convict sentenced to 1 year will spend 2.5 months in prison; a convict sentenced to 6 months will spend 1 month; and a convict sentenced to 3 months will spend 18 days in prison. Judges are given discretionary power The current system prohibits arrest for sentences of 2 years or less. The new regulation will grant judges the authority to arrest for sentences of 2 years or less under certain circumstances. Courts will be able to re-evaluate arrest decisions by taking into account criteria such as "tendency to commit a crime," "degree of public disorder caused by the crime," and "form of committing the crime." The Perception of Impunity Will Be Eliminated Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, drawing attention to the need to "eliminate the perception of impunity" , which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also emphasized, stated that every convict will definitely spend a certain part of their sentence in prison.