Article 238. Whoever unlawfully detains another or deprives him of his freedom of the person by any other means is to be sentenced to not more than three years of fixed- term imprisonment, criminal detention, control, or deprivation of political rights. In circumstances where beating or humiliation are involved, a heavier punishment is to be given.
Whoever commits one of the crimes in the preceding paragraph and causes a person’s serious injury is to be sentenced to not less than three years and not more than 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment; when he causes a person’s death, he is to be sentenced to not less than 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment; when he causes a person disability or death by violent means, he is to be punished in according with the stipulations in Article 234 and Article 232 of this law.
Whoever unlawfully detains or takes somebody into custody for the purpose of demanding the payment of a debt is to be given a punishment in accordance with the stipulations stated in the two preceding paragraphs.
Where an employee of a state organ abuses his authority to commit any of the three aforementioned crimes, he is to receive a heavier punishment in accordance with the stipulations stated in the three preceding paragraphs.
Article 239. Whoever abducts another person for extortion or abducts another person as a hostage shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment not less than ten years or life imprisonment, and be fined or be sentenced to confiscation of property; or if the circumstances are less serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment not less than five years but not more than ten years, and be fined.
Whoever commits the crime as described in the preceding paragraph and causes the death of the abducted person or kills the abducted person shall be sentenced to death and confiscation of property.
Whoever steals an infant for extortion shall be punished under the preceding two paragraphs.
