Crime of Making Death Threats: Is It a Less Serious Crime?

Clause 2, Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code 2017 stipulates the classification of crimes as follows:

Based on the nature and degree of danger to society of the criminal act as stipulated in this Code, crimes are classified into the following 04 types:

a) Less serious crimes are those that have a nature and degree of danger to society that is not great, with the highest penalty frame stipulated in this Code for such crimes being a fine, non-custodial reform, or imprisonment of up to 03 years;

b) Serious crimes are those that have a nature and degree of danger to society that is great, with the highest penalty frame stipulated in this Code for such crimes being more than 03 years to 07 years imprisonment;

c) Very serious crimes are those that have a nature and degree of danger to society that is very great, with the highest penalty frame stipulated in this Code for such crimes being more than 07 years to 15 years imprisonment;

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And according to Article 133 of the Criminal Code 2015, which stipulates the Crime of Threatening to Murder, the highest penalty frame for this crime is up to 7 years imprisonment.

Thus, based on the aforementioned classification of crimes, the crime of threatening to murder is classified as a very serious crime (not a less serious crime).

Respectfully!