The Trnava District Court on Tuesday sentenced a man, who claimed that he grew marijuana to produce ointments, to 15 years in prison and confiscation of property, court spokesperson Jana Kondakorova has told TASR, adding that the verdict isn't yet final, as the indicted man has appealed it.
"The Trnava District Court on Tuesday issued a verdict, finding the defendant guilty of the serious crime of illegal production of narcotic and psychotropic substances, poisons and precursors, their possession and trafficking in them, and sentenced him to 15 years in prison under medium security conditions. At the same time, it ordered seizure of the defendant's property with the state becoming the owner," said Kondakorova. The district court was deciding on the matter after the original verdict was cancelled by the regional court last year.
The opposition Saska (SaS) party said that such a punishment is unacceptable, especially compared to sentences for murder or manslaughter, for example.
Therefore, Saska MPs want to submit to Parliament an amending proposal to the Penal Code, so that even the smallest amount of marijuana is not a crime. At the same time, they want judges to be obliged to revise already decided cases, which would also apply to the aforementioned case. "If he was judged according to the new drug-related criminal policy, the verdict would have been unambiguously different," added MP Maria Kolikova (SaS).
The extra-parliamentary Progressive Slovakia (PS) party criticised the verdict as well, pointing to the fact that the man was sentenced for producing healing ointments. It has repeatedly called for decriminalisation of marijuana. "We all feel that it isn't fair if a person receives a higher sentence for a few marijuana cigarettes than a murderer, a mobster or a corrupt judge," said PS vice-chair Martin Hojsik. According to him, the change proposed by the Justice Ministry removes the biggest legislative problems in some laws, but nothing changes from a wide prospective.
(TASR)
