Azerbaijan begins implementing presidential amnesty, hundreds released PHOTO

The implementation of the amnesty act initiated by President Ilham Aliyev is underway in the penitentiary institutions of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice.

The process began at a women’s correctional facility operated by the Ministry of Justice, where 22 female prisoners were freed, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

The implementation was overseen by Human Rights Commissioner Sabina Aliyeva, Parliament deputy Zahid Oruj, and representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, civil society bodies and the media.

Officials said around 300 inmates eligible under the amnesty are currently being processed for release across penitentiary institutions, with documentation being issued as part of the procedure.

The amnesty is also being applied to individuals outside prison, including those under probation supervision and people serving non-custodial sentences such as restriction of liberty, community service, corrective labour or fines. It additionally covers individuals with suspended sentences, those released on parole and those whose sentences had previously been deferred.

The Ministry of Justice said its departments have been fully mobilised to carry out the amnesty swiftly and in accordance with the law.

The measure was approved by parliament following a presidential initiative and applies to a broad range of categories.

These include participants in military operations to defend Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity — including the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation of September 19–20, 2023 — as well as close relatives of those killed or missing during the fighting, people who acquired disabilities as a result of Armenia’s military actions against civilians, women, people aged 60 and over, and individuals who were minors at the time of their offence.

In addition, inmates convicted of minor or less serious crimes, or offences committed through negligence, may be released or see the remainder of their sentences reduced.

Officials say the amnesty will be the largest in Azerbaijan’s history by the number of people affected.

More than 20,000 individuals are expected to benefit, including over 5,000 prisoners released from custody, sentence reductions for more than 3,000 inmates, the release of more than 7,000 people from restrictions on liberty, and the lifting of non-custodial or suspended sentences for around 4,000 others. More than 1,000 individuals will be exempted from criminal liability.

Full implementation of the amnesty is expected to take up to four months.

By Aghakazim Guliyev