Article 158

A Court, having sentenced a defendant to a term of imprisonment, may postpone the beginning of the service of that sentence for a term not exceeding six months, if the Court finds that:

the defendant is not likely to be a danger to public security;

the defendant is not likely to abscond or otherwise avoid the service of the sentence;

the defendant is primarily responsible for the support of the defendant’s family; and

the defendant produces guarantors for his good behavior and submission to imprisonment at the end of the specified term.

If defendant is a pregnant woman the court may postpone the beginning of the service of the term of imprisonment until after the pregnancy ends, or for six (6) months after that date.

If a defendant has been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than three months and an appeal has been made against the judgment or sentence of a court, the court that passed the judgment or sentence shall suspend the carrying out of the sentence of imprisonment until the appellate court makes its decision and order the production of guarantor(s) for his good behavior and submission to imprisonment in case the appellate court affirms the judgment of the lower court or awards another term of imprisonment.