BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 8. New punishments for creating or leading a terrorist organization, or for participating in its activities, have been approved in Azerbaijan, TurkicWorld reports.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed relevant amendments to the Criminal Code and the law "On combating terrorism".
According to the document, a new Article 214-4 is added to the Criminal Code, which establishes criminal liability for creating, leading, or participating in the activities of a terrorist organization. According to this article, creating a terrorist organization or leading such an organization or its structural unit is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 10 to 14 years. Membership in a terrorist organization or participation in its activities is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years.
The note to the article stipulates that a person who is a member of a terrorist organization or participates in its activities is exempted from criminal liability if he/she, assists in the prevention of criminal acts, the detection of persons who created, led, participated in the activities of, or financed a terrorist organization, by timely notifying the authorities or otherwise, and if his/her actions don't constitute another crime.
According to the law, Article 282 of the Criminal Code is being reworded. Thus, new objects are added to Article 282.1, such as the purpose of weakening scientific and technical potential, as well as disrupting the normal functioning of critical information infrastructure, energy, transport, and telecommunications networks.
Besides, the methods of committing sabotage include the use of practical artificial intelligence technologies and special software.
According to the document, Article 282.2 provides for several new aggravating circumstances. These aggravating circumstances include the commission of the provocation by a criminal group, the commission of the act during a state of emergency or martial law, an emergency social environment, as well as mass unrest, the commission of the act by a person using his official position, and the negligent act causing death or other serious consequences.
According to the note part of Article 282 of the Code, a person who participated in the preparation of a provocation is exempted from criminal liability if he or she assists in the prevention of such an act by timely notifying the authorities or in another manner, and if his or her act does not constitute another crime.
