A 33-year-old Philippine citizen who was serving her sentence in a women's colony in the Abai Region has been released under an amnesty and will soon return home, infohub.kz reports.
According to the press service of the regional Department of the Penal Enforcement System, the foreigner was convicted of theft and sentenced to 3 years and 6 months in prison. She arrived at the women's colony of the Penal Enforcement System in the Abai Region to serve her term.
During her time at the facility, the convict not only followed the established rules but also tried to use the time to gain new knowledge and skills. She studied sewing at the college at the facility and also learned the Kazakh language.
The woman told colony staff that she was unmarried and had come to Kazakhstan five years ago to earn money. Her mother and younger sister are waiting for her at home and had hoped all along for her return.
In accordance with the Amnesty Law, the convict was released from further serving her sentence. Upon release, she was met by migration service officers, who will accompany the further procedure of her expulsion from Kazakhstan.
"Today is a special day for me. I feel like I'm starting life over. I haven't seen my family for five years, and right now I want most of all to return home as soon as possible and hug my mother and sister. I worry a lot about how much pain I caused my family and how much I made them worry. When I left for Kazakhstan to earn money, I promised my mother that I would work, help her, and support our family. The first three years everything went well, but then my life changed dramatically, and I ended up in the colony. During this time I have reconsidered a lot. I realized how important it is to value freedom, family, and the trust of loved ones. I am grateful for the opportunity to return home and start over. More than anything in the world, I want to see my mother, hug her tightly, and tell her that everything will be fine with me. When I return home, I will definitely find a job and will earn only through honest work. I want to prove to my loved ones that I have changed and that their hopes for me are not in vain," the convict shared.