Azerbaijani parliament to discuss amnesty act on First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva's initiative - UPDATE

Azerbaijan`s first lady, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva has lodged an appeal with the parliament over the adoption of an amnesty act.

Speaking to a session of the Milli Majlis committee on legal policy and state building, the committee`s chairman Ali Huseynli said the act, which marks the 90th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev, is “a vivid evidence of commitment to the national leader`s humane policy”.

In her appeal, president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva said: “Founded by national leader Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan`s statehood strategy will for many long years contribute to strengthening the Azerbaijani state, increasing its economic power and ensuring the people`s prosperity.”

Initiated by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the parliament of Azerbaijan adopted amnesty acts on May 8, 2007 ad March 17, 2009 which applied to 9,877 and 9,564 prisoners respectively. The amnesty acts, which fostered re-integration of criminals into the society, evoked wide public welcome and support.

If passed, the new law will see the release of women, who do not pose serious public threat or who committed less grave crimes, under-18 criminals, first and second group invalids, men under 60, those who have the custody of underage children or disabled children of first and second groups, those who contributed to protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, those who were expelled from their homelands as a result of the occupation of part of Azerbaijan`s territory, as well as prisoners belonging to other categories.
The law will also apply to persons, whose unserved term of imprisonment is below a year, persons sentenced to corrective and community work, persons who were fined, those whose imprisonment was postponed, and those who were given a suspended sentence.

Experts say the amnesty act is expected to be applied to nearly 9,000 people, of which 2,000 will be released from detention facilities.
The draft amnesty act will be considered by the Milli Majlis on May 7.

/AzerTAc/

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The issue on amnesty will be put on the agenda of Azerbaijani parliament on the initiative of the country's First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Legal Policy and State Building, Ali Huseynli said at the meeting of the parliament on Tuesday.


/Trend/