BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 15. President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has initiated the declaration
of amnesty on the occasion of the "Year of Constitution and
Sovereignty", Trend reports.
Thanks to the political will and mission of salvation of
Azerbaijani people, the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the
independent Azerbaijani state was established and strengthened, and
the Constitution of Azerbaijan, adopted under the leadership of the
National Leader, created the legal foundation of Azerbaijan's
modern statehood.
Thanks to the decisive and far-sighted strategy of the President
of Azerbaijan, the worthy successor of the political course of the
National Leader, the Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham
Aliyev, the unwavering leadership, and the unparalleled heroism of
Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial
integrity have been fully restored as a result of the victory
gained in the Second Karabakh War and the local anti-terrorist
measures.
Considering that the restoration of our sovereignty and the
establishment of the supreme legal authority of the Azerbaijani
Constitution across all of Azerbaijani territories is the greatest
historical victory of the Azerbaijani people, and staying true to
the traditions of humanism and mercy, believing in the educational
significance of pardoning, and hoping that those to be released
from punishment will comply with the law and contribute to the
development of the Azerbaijani state, President Ilham Aliyev has
proposed the initiative for declaring an amnesty.
According to the draft amnesty act, individuals who participated
in military operations to protect the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of Azerbaijan, including the Second Karabakh War and the
anti-terrorist measures conducted on September 19-20, 2023, as well
as the close relatives of those killed or missing in these
operations, individuals who became disabled due to the military
provocation against the civilian population of Armenia, women,
persons over the age of 60, minors who committed crimes, and other
individuals will be pardoned or released from criminal
liability.
Additionally, based on the draft, certain individuals sentenced
to imprisonment for less serious crimes or crimes committed due to
negligence, which don't pose a significant public danger, will be
pardoned or have the unserved portion of their sentences
reduced.
The Amnesty Act, presented to the Parliament of Azerbaijan by
the President of Azerbaijan, is expected to be the largest amnesty
in terms of the number of people it applies to, including those
released from imprisonment. It's anticipated that the amnesty will
apply to more than 20,000 individuals. This includes over 5,000
convicts who will be released from imprisonment, more than 3,000
whose sentences will be reduced, over 7,000 who will be released
from sentences involving restriction of liberty, nearly 4,000 who
will be freed from non-custodial sentences or conditionally applied
sentences, and more than 1,000 individuals who will be exempted
from criminal liability.
