Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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The implementation of the amnesty declared on the occasion of the “Year of the Constitution and Sovereignty,” initiated by President Ilham Aliyev, has officially begun, Azernews reports.

The amnesty act is being implemented first at Prison No. 4. As part of the initial stage, 22 female inmates have been released from the unserved portion of their sentences. Among them are two women serving sentences while caring for minor children.

It is noted that, under the preliminary list of the amnesty act, around five thousand people are expected to be released from imprisonment, while the sentences of more than three thousand individuals will be reduced by six months.

Overall, the amnesty is set to cover more than ten thousand people, including those serving punishments not related to deprivation of liberty.

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The implementation of an amnesty act initiated by President Ilham Aliyev has officially begun.

As reported by Azernews, the amnesty is being carried out at correctional facilities operated by the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice.

It is recalled that the initiative to declare the amnesty was put forward by President Ilham Aliyev, after which the Milli Majlis (Parliament of Azerbaijan) adopted a decision approving the amnesty act.

Under the amnesty, individuals who participated in combat operations to defend Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity - including the Patriotic War and the anti-terror operation conducted on September 19–20, 2023 - as well as close relatives of those killed or missing in action, persons who became disabled as a result of Armenia’s military provocations against civilians, and other categories such as women, persons aged 60 and above, individuals who were minors at the time of committing a crime, and certain other groups, will be exempted from punishment or criminal liability.

The document also stipulates that a number of individuals convicted of crimes posing no significant public danger, less serious offenses, or crimes committed through negligence and sentenced to imprisonment will be released or have the remaining portion of their sentences reduced.

The amnesty act is expected to be the largest in Azerbaijan’s history in terms of the number of beneficiaries. It is anticipated that more than 20,000 people will be covered by the amnesty.

Of these, over 5,000 inmates are expected to be released from imprisonment, sentences will be reduced for more than 3,000 prisoners currently serving custodial sentences, more than 7,000 inmates will be released from restriction-of-liberty sentences, nearly 4,000 individuals will be exempted from non-custodial or suspended sentences, and more than 1,000 people will be freed from criminal liability.

The implementation of the amnesty act is expected to take four months.