By IANS,
Beijing : Public security authorities in China have called upon criminals at large to surrender to police before Dec 1, a step which could fetch them commuted sentences, Xinhua reported Wednesday.
According to a circular jointly released last month by the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and the ministries of public security and of justice, criminals confessing their crimes through an intermediary or being turned in by their relatives may receive commuted sentences after being taken into custody and tried.
Misdemeanour charges would be dropped for those who turned themselves in before the deadline, according to the circular.
The policy will also apply to suspects, who voluntarily confess to crimes that were not uncovered, during routine interrogations, said an official Wednesday, adding that sentences may also be reduced for criminals who turn themselves in if they expose crimes committed by others or provide clues that lead to the arrest of other criminals, the official said.
However, criminals who fail to surrender by Dec 1 will face harsher punishments if they are caught later, according to the public security ministry official.