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", TurkicWorld 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.
