K. Tsiaras: Hate crimes with human life and dignity are not included in the scales

“It is clear that we do not put on the scales criminal acts and heinous crimes with the protection of human life and dignity”, repeated the Minister of Justice Costas Tsiaras, this time from the Plenary stage, where the bill of the ministry is discussed, with “amendments to Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure “.

Responding to strong criticism from the opposition, which in general reacts to the changes promoted by the government by talking about authoritarian anti-democratic logics, Mr. Tsiaras accused her of limiting criticism to a few provisions with which she disagrees, without submitting any specific proposal. .

“The new Penal Code is a coherent modernized legal framework that aims to address past failures and solve problems created by its implementation,” Mr Tsiaras said.

According to the Minister of Justice, the bill is based on four axes:

– Stricter penalties for specific heinous crimes.

– Real assessment of the prison sentence as a step of modernization and in accordance with what is valid in all European legal systems.

– Reintroduction of certain misdemeanors into crimes, such as environmental offenses.

– Aggravation of sexual offenses with the possibility of prioritizing the trial process of the case.

Mr. Tsiaras reacted strongly to the accusations, mainly of the official opposition, about the attempt to abolish the rule of law, opposing that for the first time the European report evaluates Greece positively. “The European Commission recognizes that we have changed and upgraded the rule of law. You can not blame us for this. It is the first European report, after many years, that positively assesses the Greek judicial system. “For the first time there is something positive in the evaluation of the European report,” he said.

Also, Mr. Tsiaras rejected the accusations that the government is not in favor of community service, opposing that SYRIZA “turned it into a main punishment without taking care of the necessary infrastructure that will support it”. “The issue will come back. Another piece of legislation is pending which will clarify the conditions and conditions that must exist in order for the public benefit work to be carried out,” the minister added.

Finally, he responded to the criticism he received for article 191 of the Penal Code for the dissemination of false news, emphasizing the need “to change this provision that has been in force for over 70 years and was much stricter”. “We have to adapt to today’s reality. I do not know who will take responsibility for the lives of people who are lost because some people persuade them not to be vaccinated. If you want them not to be punished, say so clearly. “way to ensure the real right of the citizen to fake news, in harsher terms,” ​​said Mr. Tsiaras.

The Minister of Justice referred to this point in KINAL, saying characteristically: “I wish KINAL, which has elections for the election of its leader, to find its way soon. I can still hear the statements of Fofi Gennimata, from this step “He called for the sentences to be tightened as soon as possible. And the fact that there are changes is at the discretion of the people.”

“Obviously there are different ideological approaches and proposals. Our proposal is what we are discussing today: the criminal code of Tsiaras and Lambros Margaritis. And it is the previous one, that of SYRIZA and Paraskevopoulos. Society judges and chooses. This dictates The fact is, however, that in a penal code one has to balance a logic that prevails in Europe and speaks of modernization and reintegration, which balances both the sense of justice and the sense of protection of the people. “Some succeed and some do not”, concluded Mr. Tsiaras.

Source: AMPE